Until You're Mine
by mangx3
Summary: Recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a fresh start but what happens when their interactions brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle? Rated for a reason. AU
1. Stay

**Disclaimer: I don't Inuyasha or anything else not a part of my imagination.**

Chapter 1: Stay

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**Summary: **Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless cup of coffee when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

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Taking a short glance at the thin silver watch on her slim wrist, Kagome Higurashi's honey brown eyes widened in disbelief at how late the day was. Looking out of the window of her office, she sighed when she finally noticed that the sun was about to meet the horizon, casting an orange glow over the city. Kagome pressed the intercom button on her phone, immediately being met with a reply from her secretary.

"Yes, Mrs. Higurashi?"

"First of all, I thought I told you not to call me that. It's just Kagome, Chiro," Kagome chided gently. Mock anger coloring her tone, she instructed. "Now, as your boss, I demand that you go home right this instant and be with your husband and kids."

"I could say the same to you, ma'am… er… Kagome."

Chuckling into the intercom, Kagome smiled and dismissed her. "See you tomorrow, Chiro. But before you leave, could you just e-mail the Hideyoshi file to me? I think I'll try and get some work done on it tonight at home."

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow morning then, ma'am."

Kagome released the intercom button of the phone and shook her head slightly. She groaned while she stood up out of her comfortable leather chair. Stretching her arms over her head similarly to a feline, she strode to glass wall of her office, overlooking the Tokyo skyline. Placing her hands on her hips, she pouted at the massive crowds of people walking below her. With another deep sigh, Kagome turned back and leaned over her desk, shutting off the computer and placing numerous documents and folders within her briefcase before she slipped on her charcoal-colored pea coat and taking her briefcase, locking her office door behind her as she left. Kagome waved amiably and nodded to the several other lawyers on her floor and their assistants as she made her way to the elevator before she exited the marble lobby, the sound of her high heels hitting the floor lost in the clamoring sounds of endless numbers of others leaving the building at the same time.

Kagome stood just outside of the building, by the sidewalk corner, where there was a lane for taxis with the purpose of loading or unloading passengers. While she waited for a taxi, she pulled out her cell phone and unconsciously tightened her pea coat around her, trying to protect herself from the frigid November air. She looked around her suspiciously, trying to shake off the feeling that someone was watching her. She dialed just as a taxi pulled up in front of her and climbed in, giving her home address to the cabbie.

After several rings, she heard a click on the other line when a deep, masculine voice answered the line. "Hello?"

Smiling to herself, Kagome greeted happily, "Hey, honey. I'm on my home from work right now. What do you want for dinner?" At her husband's hesitation, she frowned and deadpanned, "You're working late at the station, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry, Kagome, but we've just opened up a lead on this cold case file." Kagome could hear how contrite her husband was on the phone but couldn't believe it. It was the third night in a row that he had come home late. "Kagome?"

"Kouga… the only reason you're coming home late is because of _work_, right?"

"Kagome, you don't trust me?"

"No, no. I do…." Kagome bit down on her full bottom lip and when she looked up, she saw that they were turning the corner onto the street where she and Kouga lived. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to act like the crazy, overly suspicious, bitch wife that nags her husband all the time, but—"

"Kagome, don't worry about it. I don't think you're a naggy bitch wife."

"Oh? So you think that I'm crazy and overly suspicious?" Kagome quipped. She handed the cabbie money and exited the car, standing on the driveway of their spacious, grand four bedroom mansion they had received from Kagome's parents as a wedding gift. Kagome grunted as one of her heels sunk into the gravel of the driveway and broke off her conversation. "Because I don't think tha— fuck!"

Kouga's worried voice echoed over the speaker. "Kagome? What happened?"

"Nothing, it's nothing. My heel just sunk into the gravel." She shook her foot loose and walked up the curved pathway leading to the three steps that directed her to their mahogany front door with intricate glass panels. "Tell me again why we didn't opt to have normal concrete?" While she tried to convince Kouga was fine, Kagome hesitated inserting the key into the keyhole. She looked around her again and ignored the silent alarms going off in her head, determined to persuade her that she was being watched.

Kouga didn't seem to believe her and she heard him sigh over the line. "Look, I'll try to get done with this as soon as I can… Ehh… it should be another couple of hours." In a softer voice, he added, "I really am sorry, Kagome. I'll make it up to you tonight." As an afterthought, "As many times as you want," he added huskily.

Despite being married, Kagome couldn't help the blush that crept up her cheeks and she giggled back. "Kouga!" she reprimanded scandalously. Her blush deepened from a pale pink to a rosy red when he chuckled back. Kagome whipped her head around her for the third time that evening when she swore she heard something akin to an animal growling. "Listen, you just get to work so that you get home to me sooner."

"Good idea. I love you."

"Me, too." The line clicked and turned into a dial tone and Kagome put her phone away into her pants pocket. She finally slid the key into the keyhole and turned it, hearing the sound of the lock being pulled back into its shaft. Kagome pushed the door open and set her briefcase down in the foyer near the stairs before turning around and closing the door, a breeze passing by and chilling her.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome ran a manicured hand through her silky, midnight tresses. She could smell her conditioner being released into the air around her and felt relaxed. Kagome put her pea coat into the homey coat closet in the entry hallway and took her briefcase, climbing up the first flight of stairs and entering her home office, placing it onto her desk before climbing back downstairs to the spacious kitchen. She turned on the small television on the kitchen island, tuning it to the food network channel, hoping to be inspired for dinner.

As she waited for the commercials to pass, she placed a kettle full of water onto the electric stove and let it boil while she searched the mahogany cupboards, pulling out a coffee mug along with a bag of ground coffee beans, her favorite blend of hazelnut mocha. When the kettle whistled, she poured the scalding hot water into the mug slowly and when she moved to put the kettle back down onto the stove, she suddenly whirled around, her arm swinging around.

While she swung the hot kettle, she yelled, "Who the fuck are you and why are you following me?" Kagome gasped when a strong, rough, warm hand with long, clawed fingers encircled her thin wrist and the kettle stopped its journey, just inches away from the hanyou's stoic face.

"Inu….yasha?" she gasped.

Her fingers slackened around the kettle's handle and the weight was too much for such little resistance, allowing gravity to pull the kettle down towards the hardwood floor until Inuyasha's other hand reached out and caught it, without him taking his tawny eyes off of hers.

"Hey, 'Gome," he muttered, using his old nickname for her.

With a grunt, she fought to release her wrist from his hand and he immediately, if not reluctantly, let go. Kagome cradled her wrist in her other hand, staring incredulously at him with wide eyes. Quickly, her honey eyes narrowed at him in total, complete resentment. Anger fueling her, she marched towards his frame and pushed at his chest with the palms of both of her hands. A cry of frustration escaped her mouth when he didn't budge and she punched her fists against the hard musculature of his chest.

"You can't be here," she cried. "You need to go!" Averting her eyes from his mesmerizing gaze, she leaned against him, unsure of whether she was trying to move him or whether she needed his support to stand. "Inuyasha, you can't be here," she hissed again.

"'Gome, I just wanted to talk," he tried.

"You can't call me that!" she retorted. Looking back up at him with hurt eyes, she repeated, "Don't call me that."

Inuyasha nodded understandingly and exhaled forcefully. "I wanted to talk," he said simply.

Backing away, Kagome leaned on the counter and crossed her arms stubbornly. "So talk," she deadpanned. "You're the one who's been following me, aren't you? Kami! I thought I was just being paranoid. You asshole…" She shook her head and rubbed one of her temples.

Inuyasha nodded and turned away so that Kagome could see him hanging his head while he ran a hand through his thick silver mane. Turning back to her, Kagome could see that Inuyasha's face was worn, tired and she felt pity for him. "How the hell did you even get in here anyway?"

Kagome felt shivers travel down her spine when their eyes met again. Inuyasha explained, "You left the door open when you came in to put your briefcase down… You should really lock your door as soon as you enter the house."

"Spare me." Kagome realized that he was the cold breeze that she felt as she closed the front door. Chewing the inside of her cheek, she relented and surrendered to the side of her that was constantly sympathetic, slightly hating herself at the same time. "You want some coffee?"

At his nod, she tiptoed, despite her tall heels, and reached for another cup from the tall cupboard. Kagome had already grabbed the outermost cup that rested on the ledge of the shelf. "Damn it," she cursed. "Only Kouga can reach the…" she trailed off uncertainly at her realization of how tense Inuyasha became at the mention of her husband's name. He lightly moved Kagome out of the way and took the cup, resting it on the counter in front of her. She cleared her throat and continued pouring water and coffee into the two cups, silence lingering between them. The only sound in the house coming from the small television emitting instructions to make an authentic Italian dish called chicken marsala.

Kagome click-clacked her way to the large sub-zero refrigerator and took the bottle of coffee creamer from the side shelves. As she returned to the counter, pouring cream and sugar into her mug, she turned back at Inuyasha, who was currently staring at the grains of wood on the kitchen island.

"You drink your coffee black right?" she asked. "I remember… you said that it's because of your youkai blood… it was the only way you could get even a minor jolt of caffeine from coffee."

Inuyasha nodded and walked to her side, taking the mug from her and taking notice of the flavor of cream she held in her hand. Raising an eyebrow, he smirked slightly. "Caribbean cinnamon?" He nodded understandably, as if it were an old joke they shared. "You were never the one who would just take plain old milk. But you never had a problem with good old fashioned vanilla."

Kagome gave him an odd look and returned the bottle to the fridge and Inuyasha caught a glimpse of the other coffee cream that was chocolate flavored and made a face. "But you hate chocolate… it's too sweet for your taste."

Kagome shrugged. "Kouga likes sweet." She screwed her eyes shut and mentally smacked herself, biting down on her lower lip and shaking her head. She could feel a migraine starting up. Kagome blew lightly on the hot liquid in her mug before taking a sip, relishing in the warm, calming sensation it gave her. She started leaving the kitchen and nodded at Inuyasha, gesturing for him to follow her. She turned off the television, no longer in the mood to cook and led Inuyasha to the dining room, where she and Kouga usually drank coffee with visitors and entertained friends.

Sitting down at one end of the dining table, Inuyasha took the seat at her right side. Kagome sucked her teeth uncomfortably in the awkward silence, her fingers hugging the warm ceramic mug in front of her. She noticed Inuyasha staring at her hands heatedly before he reached for his coffee.

"You should really blow on it a little before you—"

"Ahh, fuck." Inuyasha muttered, bringing the cup away from his face, contorted in slight pain. "Damn, that's hot."

"I tried telling you," Kagome scolded. "So why are you here, Inuyasha? I haven't seen you in what? Let's see… we graduated high school when we were seventeen. We dated for two more years after that until you cheated on me with that tramp and now I'm twenty-four. So I guess that makes five blessed years that I haven't seen your face," she condemned acerbically.

"'Gome, I never meant to—" Inuyasha began.

"I told you not to call me that!" Kagome yelled, her knuckles blanching white as her fingers clutched the mug. "Just… tell me… tell me why you're here. Why the sudden appearance? The elusive, mysterious Inuyasha Takado." Taking a sip, Kagome commented offhandedly, "Last I heard, I heard something about you moving to the States with your latest…" She shrugged. "Whore," she concluded coldly.

Inuyasha nodded, taking her jabs and accusations without any reprimands or excuses. "I lived there for the past couple of years, but I decided to move back." His golden eyes roved over her and Kagome felt strange having him look at her like that, as if he could see past her. She remembered the look vividly from before.

Her mind flashed back to heated, sweat slicked skin, hands roaming her body hungrily, passionately filled with wanting but soft lips attacked her own, constantly molding themselves against her own, breaking away periodically for them to gasp in air for their burning lungs. She could picture his eyes staring straight into her eyes; both pairs clouded over with lust and desire while he licked his lips and gripped her waist tightly. Inuyasha's teeth made their way to her neck, where her heart pumped blood and sucked onto the soft skin, alternating with his rough tongue as he licked the sore, bruising skin. His claws ripped apart her clothes, her bra, and her underwear before undressing himself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her body to his so that they were flush against each other, feeling the contours of each others' bodies. Her moans echoed in her own ears as his mouth traveled down her neck, kissing lightly as his lips came to the valley between her breasts…

"Kagome!" Inuyasha stared at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Kagome could feel heat on her cheeks and she sighed forcefully, feeling the tightness in her lower abdomen and the familiar yearning she felt in between her legs and cursed under her breath. She could remember how much the hanyou used to tease her because he could always smell how aroused she was. The smirk that played on his lips and the way a fang would always reveal itself.

"Yeah, Inuyasha. I'm fine." She took another desperate gulp of her coffee, hoping the caffeine would jolt her out of her sex hazed stupor. Shaking her head, she glared at Inuyasha suspiciously. "You still haven't answered that question." Leaning towards him, she hissed, her tone acidic, "It's kind of an important one, don't you think, Takado?"

"You look good, Kagome." Taking another sip of his coffee, he continued roving her frame with his eyes.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome asked helplessly. "I don't understand…what the hell do you want from me?"

"Your company."

"Oh?" Kagome raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What kind of 'company', exactly? You do know that I got married, right?"

Wincing, Inuyasha clarified, "Friendship." Inuyasha sighed heavily and he rolled his eyes when the look of suspicion didn't leave Kagome's facial expression. "Really."

"I don't believe you. You're a spoiled, selfish, arrogant son of a bitch who always wanted what he wanted. The new shiny toy. Once you get it, you get over it real quick and move on to the next one. I moved on and I'm married, Inuyasha. I don't know what kind of shit you think you can pull with me, but I'm not going to go along with it."

Inuyasha leaned back in the chair and let out a low whistle. "Kagome, that was a long time ago. And I know that you're happy now. I would never do anything to jeopardize that for you… I care too much about you." When Kagome snorted, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes into tiny slits. "I love you, Kagome." He froze, coughed, and reiterated, "I loved you. Those kinds of feelings just don't go away, Higurashi. Can't we be friends?"

"Suppose I go along with this. Suppose I believe that. What good would that do either of us Inuyasha? I don't know about you, but I only see this as a way to cause more trouble and heartache for _me_."

"Kagome," Inuyasha bit out, "all I really want is just for us to be friends."

"Not buying it."

"And why the fuck not? Kagome, this is sincere."

"Friends?"

"Friends."

"Fine. We'll see how this works out."

Inuyasha grinned back at her and Kagome mentally swooned. She brought the mug to her lips again when Inuyasha suddenly blurted out, "So is he better than me in bed?"

Kagome coughed, resisting the urge to spit out the scalding hot liquid at his devilishly handsome face, though the idea was more than appealing. He laughed raucously and handed her a napkin from the pile in the center of the table, helping her wipe her chin of the brown liquid.

"Inuyasha!" She slapped his shoulder but chuckled in spite of herself, suddenly remembering why it was so easy to fall for the man. It was always so carefree, so honest around him. Unfortunately, it was also stressful and was honest only when the topic didn't center around him. Fighting a frown, she smirked and shrugged. "He sure lasts a lot longer and well… I haven't been fucked like that before."

Inuyasha scowled, his lips pouting while his cheeks slightly colored in anger. "Hmph," was all he said.

The minutes passed by in silence and Kagome turned her attention to the two rings on her left ring finger, twirling the elaborate one with the diamond on it. Looking up, she saw that Inuyasha's eyes were locked onto her finger and the rings and immediately stopped. He looked up and their eyes met.

"So how are you doing, Kagome?"

Kagome shrugged sheepishly, never feeling more awkward, and in her own house! "I'm good. I'm happy. It's been a while, Inuyasha… Five years is a lot to catch up on."

"Then maybe we should have more coffee meetings."

Smiling wryly, she avoided the invitation. "Maybe… we'll see how we survive this one first." Her thin fingers traced the rim of the now empty mug absentmindedly. "Inuyasha, I—"

"Kagome," Inuyasha cut her off, "can we please at least give this a shot?" He immediately changed the subject. "So… what could have happened in five years that would have you curse more than me in a conversation?"

Raising her dark eyebrows at the mood swings that seemed to coincide with his subject changes, Kagome cryptically replied, "I grew up, real quick. Had to."

Inuyasha visibly winced at the obvious jab at his past mistakes and tried changing the subject again. "Kagome—"

Kagome slammed her hands on the table and Inuyasha jumped. Had what he had done in a stupid drunken stupor really affected her this much to cause this much change? Kagome huffed, "Inuyasha, no! You're going to let me get this out because I've been keeping it bottled up for the past five years and you have no idea how much pain you caused me. You broke my heart. No! Listen, damn it! You. Broke. It. I loved you, Inuyasha. Really, I did. Even though I couldn't believe that it was true because you, you were this _god_ and I was just the cute little goody two shoes that everyone liked but no one really cared about. Inuyasha, you say that you loved me now, but I can't believe that because even if you were bored of me or whatever… what you did to me was so heartless."

Tears spilled up and over Kagome's cheeks and Inuyasha reached out a hand to wipe them away, the rough, callused pad of his thumb smoothing over the soft, tender skin of her cheeks. Biting down on his lip, he pulled his hand away, whispering, "I'm sorry."

Kagome stared at him incredulously. Disbelief written all over her face, she took in a shaky breath. She looked away, more saltwater accumulating in her almond shaped eyes. Kagome may not have realized it until now but deep down inside, she realized all that she really wanted was a real, heartfelt apology from him. Sniffling, she stood up and Inuyasha stood up hastily, hoping she wasn't going to kick him out, though he couldn't blame her. Instead he stood frozen when she threw herself into his arms and after only a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her petite frame, rubbing her hair comfortingly. Finding herself leaning into the touch, Kagome jerked away from him, shaking her head frantically.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" she mumbled, supporting her head in her own hands. Kagome whimpered softly and turned back to Inuyasha morosely. "Inuyasha, maybe you should just go home now."

"No." Inuyasha's voice was adamant and he moved towards her, ignoring her protests, stepping close to her so that he towered over her, his chest mere millimeters from the tip of Kagome's nose. Lowering his head, Inuyasha whispered, "Kagome…"

Kagome hurried away from him, to the other side of the dining room with the large dining table situated in between them. "Inuyasha, you said that you only wanted to be friends but I think that that's impossible for the two of us."

"You're not trying hard enough," Inuyasha reasoned.

Scoffing, Kagome placed her palm on her chest, complete indignation and righteousness etched onto her angelic face. "_I'm_ not trying hard enough. Kami! This is just like you Inuyasha!" she hissed. "This entire time, you've been following me, snuck into my house, and practically demanded that we have this conversation. I welcomed you into my home and tried to keep the peace, but you have no respect for my boundaries!"

Inuyasha's gaze followed her hand to her chest and he noticed the light bouncing off of the jewelry nestled in the neckline of her navy blouse. "You're still wearing the necklace I gave you," he realized. It wasn't anything extravagant. The thin silver chain barely supported the simple silver band that hung off in a makeshift necklace. "The ring…"

Kagome blushed under the scrutiny of his gaze on her porcelain neck. She touched the silver band lightly with the tips of her fingers, feeling the smooth metal. "So?" she sniffed indignantly. "It used to mean a lot to me, Inuyasha. Did you think that I was the kind of woman to be so vindictive and immature that I would stop wearing it because the person who gave it to me turned out to be such an asshole?" Her voice was thick with steel as she glared at the hanyou.

Both of their gazes fell down onto the band and though Inuyasha was across the room, his eyesight could perfectly make out the inscription engraved onto the outside of the band. "_After tonight_…" he whispered gravelly. "Why did you keep it, Kagome? The truth."

"I already told you, Inuyasha. It means... _meant_ a lot to me." Kagome turned away, unable to meet his intense gaze. "I think that it's time you go…" she murmured.

Crossing the room in long, powerful strides, Inuyasha held a clawed finger under the smooth, soft skin underneath her chin, lifting her face up towards him. Kagome tensed in his touch and under his gaze and Inuyasha sighed somberly. His eyebrows knit together and he lowered his hand, moving away from her without breaking his passionate gaze. "Fine." He made to move back towards the front hall of the gorgeous mansion, but Kagome held his hand, keeping him where he stood.

Noticing the look in his eyes as he stared deep into her own, Kagome realized that she couldn't just turn him out, though she wasn't so sure that she would be able to forgive him. At least not yet. Gesturing back to the kitchen, she tried, "Why don't you at least keep me company while I cook dinner? If you want, you could stay—"

"No, it's alright."

"Come on, you owe me," she halfheartedly joked. But Kagome could see him flinch from the obvious reminder to his past mistakes. A deep part in her heart found some kind of sick pleasure at that. "Inuyasha, really. Why don't you stay with me? We'll catch up for real."

Despite wanting to leave right now, there was a deeper, more primal instinct within Inuyasha's being that urged him to stay. And so he followed her into the kitchen where she took out pasta noodles and started boiling water in a stainless steel pot. He sat down on one of the tall stools surrounding the kitchen island, watching her as she prepped. Inuyasha sighed and leaned his cheek onto his hand, propped up on the table by his elbow.

"You always were impatient, whenever I cooked. As I recall, you didn't even like my cooking that much. You preferred the salty, unhealthy, preservative-filled foods," Kagome mused while she took out mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, along with parmesan cheese. In another pan, Kagome put the mushrooms and tomatoes in, along with generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil. She took out green leafy herbs and placed tiny little bits of the herbs along with the other vegetables and stirred it around while she emptied the box of noodles into the boiling water to soften.

Inuyasha smirked. "Well it seems that you've gotten to learn how to cook more intricate dishes than just omelets," Inuyasha teased. He let a deep, rumbling chuckle echo in the kitchen when Kagome turned around and made a face at him, sticking her tongue out as well.

"I've had more practice… your apartment never had any real food, too. But I guess being a wife allows for some new perspective when it comes to cooking…" Kagome absentmindedly moved around the vegetables as they sizzled on the pan. Taking out a large bowl, Kagome strained the pasta, placing it into the ceramic bowl and topping it with the vegetables and sprinkling it with cheese. "Quick and painless…" she muttered.

"That doesn't look like chicken marsala." Inuyasha pointed out. He remembered the droning voice giving instructions on how to make the dish when she first turned on the television.

Shrugging, Kagome placed the bowl onto the kitchen island. "I ran out of time. I wouldn't be able to defrost the chicken breast in time and bread it and cook it. I also think that I don't have wine, anyway." Glancing at her slender wrist, she continued, "Kouga will be home soon. It's best that I just have some sort of dinner on the table."

Kagome put the pot and pan in the sink, running water over them before letting them soak. "So, you asked what I've been up to in the past five years?" She turned around and leaned on the island, wiping her hands on a small hand towel. With a heavy sigh and slight smile playing on her lips, she rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, you know that I was pre-law during university… then I got into law school, passed all my exams—with flying colors, I might add—then I landed this job at a firm where I very happily make good money." Kagome smiled cheekily.

"Good for you." Inuyasha bit down hard on his lip and asked, "So when did you meet up with Kouga again? We hadn't seen him since high school and we drifted apart after graduation… how'd you see him again?"

"Sango. She was having a small get together about, I don't know, three years ago? Anyways, it was a bunch of our old gang from high school and there he was. It was a few months after we had separated and you went off to America. He's a cop, you know. Well, I suppose detective is the correct title. I'm the law to his order," she chuckled. "We dated for two years after you and I broke up and got married last year." Her honey eyes watched his golden ones carefully, gauging his reaction.

'_Two years… that's all it took for Kouga to realize how special she was and make sure that she was his. I dated Kagome for nearly five… our relationship is still longer than theirs by two years. But I didn't take initiative to commit and I made an idiot mistake. Stupid, Inuyasha! Stupid!'_

Smoothly, Inuyasha smiled back pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you happy, Kagome." Kami, he really was glad to see her happy. It just pained him to know that it was without him in her life. Inuyasha ignored the sting and pressed, "You _are_ happy, aren't you?"

Nodding, Kagome affirmed, "Very."

"I've missed out on a lot, haven't I?" Inuyasha shook his head. "Speaking of Sango, how is she? And that lecher son of a bitch she's in love with? Did Miroku finally get the balls to ask her out?" Inuyasha smiled fondly at their two mutual friends, a rarity that Kagome raised her eyebrows at.

"Yeah, they've been dating for about a year now. They're happy, as well." Kagome commented offhandedly. "How about the mysterious Inuyasha Takado? What mischief did you get into in the States?" She turned to reach for plates from the cabinet above the kitchen counter, grunting slightly until a larger hand appeared in front of her, pulling down a pile. Kagome smiled at him in thanks, taking three and putting them in the dining room. "Come on, tell me!" she called back.

"Oi, are you expecting someone? What's with the third plate?" Inuyasha put the rest of the pile of china back in the cabinet, slightly shaking his head in confusion.

Walking back, Kagome rolled her eyes at him, huffing tersely, "I presume you're going to be staying for dinner, aren't you? You and Kouga can catch up and… I don't know, do all sorts of stupid, macho, masculine things like yell at our plasma?"

"There's no interesting game on tonight, Kagome."

"It's not like I would know, would I?" Kagome placed her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows at him boldly. Her eyes softened and she slightly tilted her head to the side in exasperation. "Please. Stay."

Shaking his head, Inuyasha declined politely. Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, he reasoned, "Nah, I'm sure that you and Kouga would want some time alone." As he spoke, red began to color his cheeks in anger and embarrassment when he realized he revealed that he overheard Kagome and Kouga's plan for a sex session that night.

"Excuse me?" Kagome scoffed. "I should've known. You and your goddamn super hearing. You know, Inuyasha, one of these days you really _are_ going to hear something you're not supposed to and deeply, _deeply_ regret it and get yourself into bad shit."

"I think I already have," Inuyasha grumbled. Every fiber of his being shuddered with disgust at the thought, Kami forbid the _mental image_, of Kouga and Kagome fucking each other like rabbits. "Well it's not like a fucking light switch I can turn on and off, is it? Can _you_ stop hearing at will? Because I'd _love_ to know how you pull that off."

Gritting her teeth together, a strangled shriek escaped Kagome and she threw her hands in the air. "Kami, you're so infuriating! I can't even fathom how we were able to stay together for so long."

Chuckling dryly, Inuyasha retorted, "I think it's _because_ we were fighting that we got along so well together. Everything we thought about each other was out in the open when we argued…"

"Not everything."

Inuyasha grimaced again. She wasn't going to let this go… "Kouga's a couple of miles away… I better leave." He turned to head towards the front door until he heard Kagome's breath hitch in her voice, as if she wanted to say something but was hesitant about it. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder back at her and met her eyes, asking, "Yeah?"

Kagome blushed slightly, feeling the heat creep upwards and looked away pointedly. "Oh, uh, well… uhm…" Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she continued, "If your offer is sincere…"

"My 'offer'?"

"Yes. Your offer to be friends… Or did it have a sixty minute expiration date? Because then…" she playfully glanced down at her watch. "As of eighteen minutes ago, I have run out of time," she mock sobbed. Kagome stuck out her lower lip in counterfeit sadness.

Staring dumbfounded into her honey eyes that Inuyasha felt so drawn to, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and smirked back. "Well since you know the person who gave you the offer so well, I'm sure that the deadline can be extended."

"I'm touched," Kagome chuckled. "So… we'll meet up soon? You haven't told me about your adventures with those Yankees in America yet." Waving her arms around her in order to gesture at her grand house, she shrugged. "You know where I live. Just knock on the front door next time, if you don't mind."

Admiring her effort of civility, Inuyasha assured her, "No more following you around or sneaking in." Though the hanyou wasn't the superstitious type, he discreetly crossed two of his fingers behind his back, not knowing if those were words he could exactly stay true to. "And I'd like to meet up soon."

"How about we have a little tradition of conversation over coffee?" Kagome offered. "I'm free every Wednesday evening, once I get off from work."

"Then I guess I'll see you every Wednesday. Is that small café still standing? You know, the shithole a couple of blocks away from the high school?"

A crease appeared in between Kagome's eyebrows. "Oh, Kami. _That_ horrible place? No!" She giggled and continued, "No, no, uh… it _finally_ closed about three years ago and now a very classy café stands in its place."

"Ohhh yeah. I heard about that. Maybe because I own it." Inuyasha mentioned serenely.

"Oh?"

Kagome rolled her eyes when Inuyasha smirked back at her with a mysterious air as he replied, "Yeah, but that's a story for next Wednesday."

"It's only Monday, Inuyasha. I think I can wait forty-eight hours for the juicy details. No need to be so suave about it." Kagome walked forwards and led him to the front door as she smiled at him, sending butterflies straight to Inuyasha's abdomen. Her face fell slightly as she opened the door, leaning against it slightly while Inuyasha stood in the open doorway. "Inuyasha… I know that we're trying out this whole friendship thing and I'm being sincere in my effort but I want to warn you right now… it's going to take a lot of me to forgive you."

Inuyasha nodded solemnly. "I know. I'm not asking for your forgiveness. At least not anymore. Right now I'm just asking for a chance. I've missed you too much, Kagome." he admitted. "I won't ask you for that, not yet."

"Thank you."

"Anything for you."

Kagome took a deep breath to stifle the emotion that was overwhelming her and making itself substantial through the saltwater blurring her vision. Her voice was thick and she leaned forward to kiss Inuyasha on the cheek as she said goodbye, whispering near his ear. "It was nice of you to apologize, Inuyasha. I'll see you on Wednesday." She pulled her lips away from his cheek and found him staring at her again with that unfathomable expression on his face. Inuyasha nodded abruptly and left through the doorway, allowing Kagome to lean on it until it swung close, letting her body weight close it for her.

Inhaling deeply once more, she went back to the kitchen again and lit a large, fragrant candle, not knowing whether she wanted Kouga to know just yet whether Inuyasha had made a sudden reappearance in her life. Absentmindedly, Kagome travelled throughout the foyer, kitchen, and dining room, waving her hand as a fan for the candle, its strong scent of pine needles blending in with Inuyasha's natural scent of pine, sandalwood, and spice. She knew that if she tried to mask his scent with a completely different scent it would only makes it more obvious to Kouga's sensitive sense of smell. Inuyasha had told her that during the high school years of their relationship when they had to disguise his obviously masculine scent that lingered in her bedroom from her mother.

'_Do I really want to hide this from Kouga? There's nothing _to_ hide from him… but still. I know he'd get jealous or overprotective about Inuyasha…_'

Kagome sighed unhappily and put the candle down on the dining room table while she set the table. She noticed the third plate and frowned.

'_Well I _thought_ I wanted to share this with Kouga… but looking back, I'm still not so sure.'_

Shaking her head, Kagome brought the large bowl of pasta to the dining room and went out to their backyard, leaning over the railing of their deck, hugging her arms as the cold night air blew past her, staring at their green expanse of their vast backyard. She didn't know how long she was out there but that once she heard the sound of Kouga's car rolling onto their gravel driveway, she had blinked and the orange glow of the sky was gone, replaced by a deep navy blue and the faint twinkling of bright stars. The glass sliding doors had opened behind her and Kouga stared at his wife worriedly.

"Kagome? Baby, what's wrong?" He stood behind her, wrapping his muscular arms around her petite frame, resting his chin on the crown of her head. "You're freezing," he noted. Sighing, he squeezed her tighter. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"No, no. It's okay. I just wanted some fresh air and I guess I just got lost in my thoughts." Kagome admitted.

"You have a big case or something?"

"Yeah… I actually brought home some of the files and asked Chiro to e-mail me some more files." That was the truth, Kagome reasoned, but not what she was thinking about. Turning around in his arms, she circled her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, sighing contently. "You must be hungry. Let's go back in."

"Are you sure that that's it?" Kouga leaned away from her slightly, still not sure that Kagome was alright.

Looking upwards into Kouga's concerned arctic eyes, Kagome exhaled and teasingly rolled her eyes at him. One of her slender fingers reached up and traced the line of his lips softly. "You worry about me too much," she whispered.

"Mm… with good reason," he mumbled against the softness of her finger. He pulled her hand away softly and lowered his lips onto hers, which Kagome eagerly responded to. Against her soft lips, Kouga whispered huskily, "You know that I'm a man of my word, Kagome…"

A blush rose to Kagome's cheeks as she stared at her husband, hearing his suggestive words. Kouga chuckled at how innocent Kagome still was after being married for a year and losing her virginity years ago, before even their relationship. "But I made you dinner! You must be hungry."

Raising his eyebrows provocatively, Kouga guaranteed, "I _am_, Kagome." He sighed and pulled away. "But it's late. You're probably hungry for food. That pasta smells good." Kouga kissed her chastely on the cheek as they walked back into the house, their arms around each other.

Dinner passed by without much incident and Kouga and Kagome washed the dishes together and acted as they usually did— the picture perfect example of suburban life and marriage. Kagome and Kouga headed upstairs since it was late and as they ended up on the first landing, Kagome sighed wistfully at her closed office door, not getting any work done but she pushed the thought aside and continued to the second landing where she and Kouga's personal bedroom and bathroom were located. There were also two other guest bedrooms on the third floor down the hall but they hadn't had to use them due to the numerous guest bedrooms on the first and second floors.

The couple entered their dark bedroom, already well accustomed to the room's layout and not needing any light. Kouga immediately stretched out onto their generously sized bed, holding the remote at arm's length while the other was tucked behind his head and almost pushed the power button to turn on the television. His eyes strayed, however, when Kagome began to take off her work clothes, carefully unbuttoning the navy silk cap-sleeved blouse and folding it before delicately folding it. The ivory, unblemished skin of her neck was now able to continue to flow until they swelled into the full, round orbs concealed by the black lace of her bra. Kouga unconsciously licked his lips at the sight of the two globes as she leaned over, resting a hand on her nightstand to take off her tall charcoal-colored pumps. He forced his eyes away from the tantalizing appendages and continued traveling down the smooth, flat expanse of her abdomen to where her small fingers worked to unfasten the button on her black flared slacks. Kagome turned away from him, sitting on the edge of the bed after letting the soft fabric slide down her long, shapely legs and gently kicked them off, folding them as well. The muscles of her back were not as obvious as a man's but Kouga could see them work as she stood up, her spine disappearing as her posture straightening, revealing the matching black lace that covered her bum, hugging the curves of her hips fantastically. Kagome took the clothes and disappeared into her walk-in closet, presumably putting them in her laundry pile and tucking her shoes away in the tall shelf of shoes she had.

Screwing his eyes shut, Kouga took deep breaths in an effort to stop the heat that was quickly coursing through his veins, downwards to his nether regions. Groaning, Kouga kicked off his shoes, socks, and pants. He pulled the white, long-sleeved shirt over his head and the undershirt he had on, so that he was left in only his boxers, the heat suffocating him. He threw an arm over his face, continuing his deep breathing. Kagome made her way out of the closet and to their personal bathroom, crossing the bedroom. She turned to say something to Kouga but smiled softly when she noticed his deep breaths and how his arm was carelessly thrown over his face, thinking he was sleeping.

Kagome stepped over to his side of the bed and leaned over him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously when she saw the strained expression on his face. She noticed that he was certainly breathing hard for someone who was supposed to be sleeping soundly. She bit her lower lip as a mischievous thought came into her mind. Kouga, meanwhile, was about to lose his mind as he could smell her scent so close to him. He had a feeling that she wasn't in the mood tonight and he wasn't going to force her into anything, but Kami, she was making it difficult! Kouga felt the mattress shift beneath him and his eyebrows came together in confusion. This wasn't part of their nightly routine… Kagome always took a shower before going to bed so that she didn't have to wake up early to take one in the morning before heading off to work. He lifted his head and suppressed the urge to jump her. Kagome was sitting at the foot of the bed, biting her lower lip in a way that had Kouga almost moaning just from the sight of her.

Shyly, as aggressive or hard to get wasn't really her style, Kagome crawled up the bed, straddling her husband's hips and smiled tentatively at him before looking down at herself. When she looked up into his eyes, Kouga was surprised to see a sultry expression on her face. She leaned forward, supporting her upper body on her palms which were placed on either side of Kouga's torso. He gulped and chuckled breathlessly.

"Since when have you been such a she wolf?" he grunted, closing his eyes in bliss when he felt her soft lips all over his jaw line, steadily climbing up to his temple, across his forehead, down to the tip of his nose, to the corner of his lips…

Opening his eyes, Kouga began playful banter, teasing, "I thought you were going to take a shower?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Kagome answered back simply, "Well… I _was_ going to take a shower, but then I realized that since I'm going to get all hot," she kissed his lips deeply, gaining a throaty moan from Kouga, "And sticky," she panted when she resurfaced, before touching her lips to Kouga's neck, where she could feel his pulse and kissed the point, sucking slightly. She brought her lips to one of his elfish ears, whispering seductively, "And sweaty. So I think I'd rather take a shower tomorrow morning."

Kagome's soft, moist lips travelled back down the column of his neck and he moaned slightly everytime her lips touched his heated skin but gasped when she took one of his nipples in her mouth. "Little… wolf…" he panted.

Releasing the sensitive body part, Kagome smirked up at him. "I did marry a wolf demon… Ah-woooo," she howled playfully. Her hands slid down his chest and Kouga groaned from the throbbing member located just by Kagome's firm posterior. Raising an eyebrow, Kagome leaned down and captured one of his lips in hers, gasping when he bit down on her lip and entering his tongue into her mouth, the two tongues dancing together until Kagome ground her hips on top of Kouga, their unison moans lost in their mouths.

Kagome made a tiny sound of surprise when Kouga's hands tightly gripped her hip and the other her waist. She was pulled flush against his body and giggled when, in a feat of pure youkai agility, Kouga was able to reverse positions without Kagome having to be crushed by his body weight or even feel much movement. Kagome had not even adjusted to their new position when she groaned in pleasure, arching her back at the simultaneous sensations of Kouga kneading his hand against one of her breasts under the fabric of black lace while his rough tongue alternated with the soft nips of his fangs against the column of her throat, soon moving downwards above the hand massaging the soft globe of flesh.

Sighing in gratification, Kagome sat up, pressing herself against her husband's torso while she cradled his face in her hands, pressing her lips against his roughly, grunting impatiently as she rocked her hips against his, bringing a deep, rough cry from Kouga's throat. Growing intolerant, Kagome continued the motion, rocking faster and faster until Kouga forced her to stop, breathing deeply. His hands fumbled at her back, trying to unhook her bra, finally getting it when Kagome guided his hands. As soon as the lace fell away, he pushed her back down to the bed as gently as he could, his mouth descending on her exposed breast that his hand was not currently rubbing. His lips latched onto the plum colored areola that had stiffened in excitement and he suckled her breast feverishly, so that Kagome began panting and arching into his mouth, feeling heat spread to the area between her legs even faster than before.

"Kouga," she groaned, her hands grasping the dark hair on his head, pushing him down harder. Kouga quickly took the hint and he swirled his tongue around her nipple and brought even more whimpering sighs from his wife, who writhed underneath him desperately.

Kouga removed Kagome's tangled fingers from the roots of his hair and continued his ministrations downwards, kissing and nipping her soft skin from the valley between her breasts, down her sternum, sucked at her bellybutton, and reached the hem of her black lace panties. Smirking, Kouga raked his teeth on the sensitive skin above the thin fabric until he felt the area where her hip bone jutted out at her side, causing Kagome to gasp, and he slowly dragged his teeth down her hip, bringing the lace with him. His hands gripped her hips and lifted them slightly, allowing the panties to slide off and he continued pulling them off and tossed them aside.

The wolf youkai lifted one of her legs, kissing her instep and continuing the trail along her inner calf, knee, and inner thigh. His other hand slowly scraped down the smooth expanse of her stomach and stopping on the mound of flesh just above Kagome's pearl. The woman in question bucked her hips against his hand pleadingly. Kouga glanced at her face and softly pressed his lips against hers, and her half-lidded eyes fluttered, her dark lashes resembling butterfly wings. Her nails scratched the front of his chest, down his abs, leaving angry red marks in their wake but Kouga groaned happily. This was the chance Kagome took to reverse their positions again, grinding her hips into his again and Kouga grunted when he felt just how wet she was, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Smiling sweetly at him, Kagome pulled his boxers down to his ankle until Kouga helped by kicking them off, revealing the hard, sensitive organ that Kagome's body desperately craved.

She allowed him to overpower her again, rolling their tangled bodies across the bed and assault her lips with his as one hand continued massaging one of her breasts as before, but the other one slide down her side, sending shivers through Kagome's body. Kouga put his knee in between hers, gently spreading them apart and suddenly gasped, pulling his mouth away from Kagome's and nestling his forehead in the crook of her forehead when he felt her small hand reach in between them and grip him roughly but with still a soft touch. A pearl of pre-cum appeared on the tip of his shaft and the pad of Kagome's thumb smoothed over it slowly, the movement activating every sensitive nerve. He breathed heavily while he reflexively thrust into her warm hand that was sliding up and down his shaft urgently. He felt their bodies shift so that he was once again on his back while Kagome sat at his side, her mouth sending hot waves over his body while she pressed her lips to his uncovered chest, once again sucking hard on his nipple, garnering the same response as before, intensified by her ministrations on his erect member.

"Ka…go…me!" he bit out. He reluctantly took her hand away from around his aching cock. "Not yet…" he murmured before putting her hand on his back. Kouga leaned away and grabbed her knees almost roughly but gently pulled them even farther apart, feeling his member ache and pulse even more when the scent of her core reached his nostrils and he almost took her, but he restrained himself wanting to satisfy his wife.

Pulling him down by wrapping her arms around his neck, Kagome whimpered while she kissed her husband, bucking her hips up against his heated flesh, begging. Not able to deny his wife, Kouga took a hand to her heated core and gently rubbed her folds. Thrashing her head in pure pleasure, Kagome felt her lower abdomen tighten and she arched in the sensation before her eyes shot open once Kouga's fingers gently moved past her swollen lowers lips and began stroking the small organ hidden in her folds. Kagome gasped and her cheeks blushed as her heart started pumping faster and she raised her hips, pushing against his hand. She began to whine and groan his name against the sensations that had her skin slick with hot sweat and tremors that caused her body to shake uncontrollably.

Just before she began climbing to her climax, Kouga pulled his fingers away, taking his slick, wet digits to his mouth. Kouga sucked on the glistening fingers and lowered his head for a kiss and Kagome tasted her own juices, shocked at the strange taste though her confusion was quickly forgotten when she moaned loudly, her voice bouncing off of the walls of the dark room, only moonlight coming in through the large bay window and the skylight above them. She panted unevenly as she found the rhythm with which Kouga was probing her entrance with a finger. She writhed and thrashed under him, only exciting him more while she pulled him down for a passionate kiss, immediately skipping over any sweet initiation and diving her tongue into his hot mouth, battling with him for dominance as they explored each other's mouths. Kouga kept pumping his finger into her, changing his tempo. Soon, he slowed down to an infuriating pace and Kagome sporadically ground her hips against his hand before being shocked when he added another digit, slowly pushing until he was inside her to the knuckle, forcing Kagome to pull her lips away, gasping in ecstasy and Kouga quickened his tempo and slowing it down sporadically, unpredictably adding a third digit.

Just as Kagome's moans and breathing began to quicken and her pleasure almost reached its peak, Kouga pulled out all of his fingers, running his tongue all over them except one, inserting his forefinger into Kagome's parted mouth, who sucked on the finger ardently, one of her hands instinctively reaching down to finish what he had started, but Kouga took her wrist and pinned it above her head. Taking his hands from her, he split her legs apart even more and nearly came as the scent of her almost climax fully hit him. Before he lost control, Kouga roughly pressed his lips against hers again, surely bruising them, and brought the tip of his shaft to her womanly folds. With another moan, Kagome arched into him before she bucked her hips upwards, the head of Kouga's dick disappearing into her cavern.

The couple moaned loudly and was still as the wave of pleasure passed over them, their heated bodies frozen in gratification. Kagome's hands clutched Kouga's shoulders tightly, digging her nails into his skin and he hissed in pain but found the action strangely erotic. Kouga moved his hips towards Kagome's at a painfully slow speed and Kagome whined, gasping as she pulled herself closer to his body, begging for more. "Kouga," she groaned. "Please…"

Wanting to please his wife, Kouga gave a hard thrust so that he was inside her to the hilt and he paused before he pulled out nearly all of the way, only the tip of his length hidden as he plunged back into her depths before he cried out in ecstacy. "Ka… Ka… Kag…Kagome!" he whined. He felt her writhe under him and thrash even more urgently and understood immediately, quickening his pace and thrusting into her cavern as fast and as hard as she cried out for him, the tightness of her inner walls against his hard length resembling heavenly bliss to him.

With every thrust Kouga made, Kagome responded with a push back with her hips, getting a deeper penetration that had her moaning and gasping his name. Panting, she whimpered, her nails scratching over the tan, muscular span of Kouga's back and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing their hips even closer and their bodies were drenched with sweat as they tangled together into one, rocking their hips so that they crashed together, the contact and friction sending them further and further into bliss.

Kagome began to feel a familiar, heated sensation pooling in her lower abdomen, tightening like a coil. She sighed and gasped everytime Kouga penetrated her inner walls and licked her lips as she removed her legs from his waist and lifted them to rest on Kouga's shoulders so that as he thrust, the head of his member touched the rigid spot of skin within her womb his fingers had earlier touched upon that had her crying out his name in a mixture of pleasured agony as she begged for release. Her hands gripped the sheets of their bed tightly and she continued gasping his name into the heated air around them. Soon, Kouga's penetration tempo fastened to an unbelievable pace and she yelled out as the coil within her lower abdomen tightened until it exploded, sending tremors all over her body and screaming his name once she hit her peak, her back arching and her hands clenching the sheets tightly. Lowering his mouth around one of her breasts at the motion, Kouga grunted as Kagome's inner walls clenched around his cock and he continued pumping into her, feeling the familiar tingling sensation throughout his length and the similar tightening in his abdomen. Once Kagome climaxed and he felt the tightness around his member, Kouga groaned as his seed emptied into her womb, continuing to pump into her until his member was emptied and soon flaccid, their juices mixing and surrounding it as he pulled out, covering Kagome's inner thighs.

Happily, he rolled them onto their sides and held her close to his body. He lowered his lips onto hers in a sweet, breathless kiss. "Kagome…" Kouga panted, "I thought you were tired tonight."

Snuggling deeper into his side, Kagome breathlessly joked, "I had some coffee earlier. I guess that's the caffeine jolt I needed." Her mind drifted away at the mention of caffeine_. 'Coffee… Inuyasha.'_

"Kagome? Kagome, are you listening?"

Blinking, Kagome replied, "Hmm…" quietly. "I'm sorry, I'm finally tired. Guess the caffeine wore off."

Encircling her body within his embrace, Kouga felt Kagome's thick dark hair tickle his neck and under his chin. "Weak human," he kidded. "_My_ weak human," he repeated with a gentle, fond tone in his voice.

"Hmm," Kagome reiterated, her eyes fluttering close in a deep sleep that had her more confused than she was in an awakened state. Flashes of images from her relationship with Inuyasha were constantly being stacked against her relationship with Kouga and regret was fighting with her common sense. Because, deep down in her heart, Kagome knew that there would be no possible way that she could maintain just a strictly friendly relationship with the man who was able to both win and break her heart, therefore sealing it off to anyone else. It was only a matter of time until she was his.

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I hope that anyone who reads this enjoys it and reviews it and wonders about it :)


	2. For the First Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything else not a figment of my imagination.**

Chapter 2: For the First Time

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**Summary: **Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless cup of coffee when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

* * *

_Last Time…_

_Happily, he rolled them onto their sides and held her close to his body. He lowered his lips onto hers in a sweet, breathless kiss. "Kagome…" Kouga panted, "I thought you were tired tonight."_

_Snuggling deeper into his side, Kagome breathlessly joked, "I had some coffee earlier. I guess that's the caffeine jolt I needed." Her mind drifted away at the mention of caffeine_. 'Coffee… Inuyasha.'

"_Kagome? Kagome, are you listening?"_

_Blinking, Kagome replied, "Hmm…" quietly. "I'm sorry, I'm finally tired. Guess the caffeine wore off."_

_Encircling her body within his embrace, Kouga felt Kagome's thick dark hair tickle his neck and under his chin. "Weak human," he kidded. "My weak human," he repeated with a gentle, fond tone in his voice._

"_Hmm," Kagome reiterated, her eyes fluttering close in a deep sleep that had her more confused than she was in an awakened state. Flashes of images from her relationship with Inuyasha were constantly being stacked against her relationship with Kouga and regret was fighting with her common sense. Because, deep down in her heart, Kagome knew that there would be no possible way that she could maintain just a strictly friendly relationship with the man who was able to both win and break her heart, therefore sealing it off to anyone else. It was only a matter of time until she was his._

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Monday night had gone by too quickly and Kagome's Tuesday was full of anxiety, causing many accidents and clumsiness on her part. Along with the exceptional ungainliness that had plagued her all day, she was unfocused and obviously distracted. Kagome had had to excuse herself from a meeting with the heads of her law firm just so she could splash cold water on her face in the ladies' bathroom and try to prevent her mind from wandering off again.

Sensing her boss' distress, Chiro wisely suggested that Kagome go home to rest while she rescheduled all of Tuesday's meetings. Kagome had immediately gone to bed, her mind swimming with memories, regrets, worries, and emotions that she had long thought were successfully locked away. She had not even remembered to cook or even order a dinner for Kouga who worried about his wife who had slept through the early evening into the night.

Now it was the early hours of Wednesday morning and Kagome laid awake in the dark, staring at her bedroom ceiling while she felt the warmth of Kouga's body, as he was lying in peaceful sleep next to her. Her earlier anxiousness was now mixed with a sense of excitement and dampened by fear. What if everything turned out worse and they separated again, never seeing each other again? Or worse, their weekly meetings would work out and Kagome would see Inuyasha at least once a week for perhaps the rest of her life. Kami knows how much 'easier' her life would be if that were to happen. Kagome shut her eyes closed tightly as could, hoping that somehow the mere desire to fall into a dreamless sleep would overrule the wild thoughts running rampant in her mind.

In any case, it did not. She was still lying awake in her bed when she saw the rays of orange light enter her bedroom and with a heavy sigh, she started her morning. She prepared coffee for herself and Kouga, her hands freezing in place as she was about to pour cream into Kouga's mug, groaning internally as she remembered it was the mug Inuyasha used two days ago. She slammed the mug and the cream down and released the mug to lift a hand to her forehead.

Kouga came up behind her, his arms snaking around her waist while he kissed the top of her head affectionately. "Are you okay?" he asked, brushing hair away from her face. He temporarily disentangled himself from her to take the cream from her tight hand and poured it into his mug while he leaned against the counter. He handed Kagome her coffee and continued, "You weren't feeling well yesterday, either. Maybe you should stay home and rest."

"Kouga I'm fine—"

"Kagome, you're my wife. I'm supposed to worry and fuss over you. You have dark circles under your eyes, which are bloodshot, and you seem a little pale. Are you sure that you're okay to go to work?"

Forcing a smile, Kagome reassured him, "Yes, I'm fine. That was some fine detective work there. Speaking of which, hurry up. You're going to be late." At Kouga's hesitance, she added, "And if I don't feel well at any point during the day, I will go home and call you, okay?" She rolled her eyes at him kissed him quickly but squeaked in surprise when Kouga gripped her tightly, keeping them connected in a searing kiss that had Kagome leaning against him breathlessly until her mind came out of the haze and began worrying about the Hideyoshi case and the fact that she had barely gotten any work done on it in the past two days…

Apparently, Kouga noticed her distraction as his hands danced along her back before several of his fingers danced down her spine and along her bottom. He pulled her to him and whined, his lips trying to get hers to move with his. She laughed against his mouth and pushed him away. "Go to work!" she ordered amongst her laughter. She watched him walk out through the foyer with her hands on her hips and threatened him, "What if I really am sick? Now you've got it!"

"I'm a youkai, we're not quite so fragile," he teased back before closing the door behind him.

However lighthearted his words were, they sent an icy dagger through Kagome's chest as she was suddenly overcome with the memory of a teenage Inuyasha who made fun of her for getting a cold after an ill planned swim in a river one autumn afternoon.

* * *

_Nine Years Ago…_

_Kagome shivered on the side of the riverbank and clutched the soaked jacket even tighter after a chain of sneezes came out from her violently. She sniffled pathetically and pouted at the sluggish river, flowing slowly in front of her. She sniffled again and her eyebrows rose when she felt the warm, thick fabric being laid over her shoulders. Her shivering almost immediately stopped when an arm joined the jacket, wrapping around her and pulling her closer._

_Leaning into Inuyasha's side, Kagome accused in a nasal voice, "This is all your fault, you know. If you just hadn't jumped in there, then I wouldn't have come in after you."_

"_Keh! You're such an idiot. Like that's _my_ fault." Nevertheless, his arm tightened around her and his hand rubbed her upper arm in an effort to quicken the warming process. "Such an idiot," he muttered. He looked down at Kagome, trying to fight the smile that crept on his lips at her drowned cat appearance._

_Kagome realized and smacked him hard, at the same time, trying to pull away from him. "Bastard! Now I'm sick!" she moaned in self-pity._

"_I can make you feel better right now," Inuyasha said smugly._

"_Oh yeah? I'd like to see you prove it."_

_Shrugging Inuyasha, replied, "Okay. Just remember that it was you said that." Out of nowhere, Inuyasha pulled her closer to him once again, but at the same time, a gentle finger lifted her chin so that her face tilted upwards while he lowered his lips onto hers, his lips moving over hers tenderly, coaxing hers to move with them. The hand under her chin slowly brushed against her cheek, pushing back strands of wet hair and Inuyasha cupped her face gently while continuing his gentle, yet passionate assault on Kagome's lips. He pulled away and Kagome's eyes were still closed while she sighed happily, causing an arrogant smirk to appear on his face._

_Kagome instantly turned a bright shade of red and sniffed, "Don't blame me if you get sick now, too!"_

_Inuyasha lowered his face again so that they were nose to nose and Kagome swore she was going cross eyed from trying to look into his eyes at such a close proximity. "You're just a weak human," he teased. "I, on the other hand, am a half demon and I can handle a little cold." He proved his point his point by touching his lips to hers again, but Kagome was defiant now, her lips similar to stone underneath his. His eyes were still closed and he mumbled against her mouth, "Come on 'Gome. You know you want to."_

_His breath tickled her nose and warmed her frigid face but Kagome made a point of not moving or reciprocating the kiss, no matter how lovely it felt… how lovely it made _her_ feel. Inuyasha's lips moved away from hers, but never left her skin. They grazed her cheek and down her jaw before touching gently on the underside of her chin and settling on the sensitive spot on her neck where Inuyasha could feel her heart pumping blood. Inuyasha's mouth moved skillfully on the spot while stroking her hair softly. When his lips moved upwards again, he had succeeded in getting her lusciously soft lips to mold themselves against his while he relished the feel of her soft skin._

_They had pulled apart, breathless and Kagome sighed, rolling her eyes while she leaned against him for a second time. Inuyasha looked down at her and surrounded her with two arms, securing his jacket over her. "Good date?" he asked._

_Scoffing, Kagome replied. "Horrible first date." She shuddered for effect. She paused and turned around in his arms with a small smile. "But a wonderful first kiss."_

* * *

Kagome groaned again and took a swig of her own mug, wincing and gagging at the strong taste, remembering that she had not yet put in any milk or cream. She made a face at the dark liquid and put the cup in the sink, running her hand through her thick black hair, grumbling, "Stupid demons that actually like black coffee. Stupid demons that kiss me even when I don't want them to!"

Her eyes widened at her own thoughts and she shook her head, mentally slapping herself. "A kiss that happened more than ten years ago… Get a hold of yourself, Kagome. This is going to be the last time you see him. You'll meet him and you'll let go of him. He's just another acquaintance from high school." With a tired sigh and a sense of defeat, Kagome emptied out the contents of the dark liquid and watched it circle the drain before disappearing completely.

With a horrible wave of nausea, Kagome was overcome with the realization that this weekly appointment of theirs wasn't good for her health. Her own feelings for Inuyasha never really disappeared. She had smothered them but they surfaced anyway; she tried throwing them down the sink, but they never went, still circling the drain.

The full force of this realization grabbed her and Kagome suddenly fell to her knees, her chest heaving at the panic that began to consume her. Her gasping worsened when the feelings that she had repressed for nearly half a decade now threatened to take over. The most powerful of these feelings was the hurt and betrayal that marked the end of her and Inuyasha. Saltwater joined her gasps and turned into massive sobs that wracked her entire body. Kagome found herself heaving on the floor and shook her head.

Slowly rising up from the floor, she reached out a shaky hand, grabbed her bag to pull out her phone, and called Chiro.

Answering on the first ring, Kagome sent Chiro all of her love and gratitude in that moment. "Yes, Kagome? Is there anything I can do for you? Are you going to be running late?"

"Chiro, I don't think I'm going to be coming in today. Give the Hideyoshi case to someone else. I can't handle the workload right now." Her voice was weak and broken. In the following pause, Kagome knew Chiro was deciding whether to send someone to check on her. "It's just a bug, Chiro. I'll be fine."

"If you say so. I can call Kouga for you if you want."

"No, that's fine. I'll do it myself. Thanks, Chiro."

'_And if I don't feel well at any point during the day, I will go home and call you, okay?'_

Letting her hand hang limply at her side, Kagome made her way to the large bay window seat overlooking the expansive backyard with vacancy in her expression. Curling up and pressing her head against the cool glass, she heard a tone and looked down, noticing that her phone still hadn't hung up and Kagome stared at it blankly.

Kagome hung up and tossed her phone aside, watching it slide across the hardwood planks. For the first time, Kagome broke her promise to Kouga just then— she didn't call him and didn't want to. Instead, she found the tiniest bit of solace in curling up in her kitchen window and allowing herself to feel, for the first time, everything that she had blocked and internalized when the love of her life crushed her heart and took the pieces with him five years ago.

She found, after the initial hour of sobbing and emotional torture, after she had finally let go of her rage and pain at being betrayed and left, there was only a choice left in her heart: ambivalence or happiness. The decision had her mind spinning for the next several hours as she watched the sun move higher and higher above her.

Another sigh escaped her and Kagome finally faced the question that plagued her.

'_Do I finally just let go of him? Can I? Or can I find a way to be happy and have him… as a friend…'_

Her breath had fogged up the window and she stopped leaning on it to wipe it off. The first swipe revealed something she hadn't expected and caused her to freeze.

Inuyasha was in her backyard, on her deck, his arm poised to knock on the sliding glass doors. He paused and Kagome found his amber gaze locked on her. Her breath hitched in her throat and she gave a small nod. Inuyasha slid open the doors and closed it behind him, then moving from the formal dining room into the kitchen where Kagome curled up against the window.

Gently, Inuyasha knelt down in front of the seat and put a hand on her arm. "'Gome? Kagome? What's wrong?"

Hearing the worry in his voice both satisfied and bothered Kagome. She wanted him to care about her but didn't know if she _should_ want him to care about her.

Without turning away from the window, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"We were supposed to meet up today." Inuyasha's voice sounded hurt at the thought that she'd forgotten. "I went to go pick you up at work but when I got to your floor, your assistant said that you hadn't come in. I came here to make sure you were okay."

"Oh."

Inuyasha's eyebrows came together in disbelief and he recoiled from her. "'Oh'? 'Oh'? Fuck, Kagome! That's all you have to say to me?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm genuinely not feeling well and _I'm_ supposed to apologize to a selfish son of a bitch like _you_? Who the hell do you think you are?" She sat up and shoved him harshly.

Taken by surprise, Inuyasha couldn't catch his balance and fell on his back on Kagome's kitchen floor while she rose up from the seat, towering over him. Kagome felt powerful, capable. She enjoyed watching him sprawled out below her, with a trace of fear in his expression because she was sure that he had never truly seen her rage before. Oh, he knew her annoyance, her anger, but never her rage. She'd been too kind. Not anymore. If he really wanted to be her friend and "catch up" with her like he claimed, he was going to have to meet this side of her.

He was going to be very well acquainted.

With a grunt, Kagome lifted her foot and kicked him in the leg, ignoring his protests. "How _dare_ you enter _my _home and demand something of me? I welcomed you into it— I fucking _welcomed_ you into my home and you have such a lack of decency to show me the same respect?" She placed another well-aimed kick at his torso this time. "_You_, the bastard and cheating asshole who _broke_ me five years ago?" Kick. "The bastard who suddenly decides to show up out of the blue— _stalking me home_— and once again, _demands_," Kick. "that we try and salvage a friendship out of this broken hell that _you_ put us in. _Me _in." Two kicks.

Panting and rosy-cheeked, Kagome leaned against the wall and felt her legs come out from under her. She slowly slid down and sat like a broken puppet, her limbs flailed out and her head hung down. Inuyasha ignored the pain she just caused him with her heels and instead felt his heart go out to the young woman who sat no more than two feet away from him, looking like she held the weight of the world on her pinky finger. He looked closely at her and frowned. Her hair was flat and messy, her eyes were bloodshot and he could smell the saltwater when he first entered the house, her skin looked sallow and sunken in, and her smile had run away, it seemed.

'_And it's all my fault. I showed up two days ago and completely ruined her happiness.'_

The last time he saw Kagome, while he was following her, she grinned at everyone, her cheeks were naturally rosy, not from exertion or crying, her eyes had brightness in them, and she resembled a perfectly happy wife, lawyer, and person. Not this defeated puppet.

Tentatively, carefully, Inuyasha slid across the floor and sat next to her. Looking at her limp hand lying in her lap, he lightly covered it with his own hand, easily absorbing the small appendage in his. He gave her hand a soft squeeze and with a soft tug, managed to pull her into his arms. Inuyasha was shocked to see that she didn't resist or snatch her hand away. Kagome's body quivered and the small shaking quickly turned into large heaves as she cried into his chest. He rubbed her hair and back, trying to comfort her, making quiet shushing sounds, telling her that everything was going to be okay.

It was like he was doused in cold water when he grasped just how badly he had hurt her and how horrible of a person he was to even try and come back into her life. He ruined her before. He knew that now. And he was doing it again and he wanted to kill himself for it.

"I'm sorry."

The tiny whisper was almost inaudible to even his ears. The sound of it still nearly brought Inuyasha to tears— the sound was broken, crushed, and pained. His embrace tightened and he buried his face into her dark hair, trying to hide from the world.

"No, Kagome. You're right. I'm so sorry. Please don't apologize."

"But I hurt you. I don't want to hurt you," she sniffled into his chest.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha tried joking, "Keh! A little kick from a small human is nothing." He pulled away from her and used his thumbs to wipe away the steam of tears. "You're right. I'm the bastard that ruined everything. You're too good, Kagome. I didn't deserve this. You're right. I have no reason to try and mess up everything you have."

Kagome moved away from him and pulled her hair away from her face, smoothing it down as she worked it into a ponytail. She managed a weak smile at him. Inuyasha frowned, though, as he saw the immense sadness in her honey-colored eyes, their usual light dimmed. "I promised to give you a chance, didn't I? I'm sorry I forgot about coffee. Just let me go wash my face and we can go."

Mechanically, almost as if she were hypnotized, Kagome stood up and left the kitchen with steady, even strides. Inuyasha heard her go into another hallway and then the sound of rushing water from a faucet. He cradled his head in his hands and stared out at the window above him, wondering if he should just leave right now and never bother Kagome again.

'_No,' he decided resolutely. 'I left her once _and_ that didn't do any good for either of us. I'm staying. I came back to Tokyo because I realize that I need Kagome. Even if she doesn't or can't love me… it won't stop me.'_

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he finally registered that the sound of the sink had ceased and he lifted himself up from the floor easily and lithely. It slightly unnerved him at how easy it was for him to maneuver his way around Kagome's house, his body naturally drawn to her. It wasn't just that he could easily pick up on her scent. It was more that even that, his base, primal instincts. It was a pull that he felt within him that had nothing to do with his physical body. He rounded a corridor and found a petite woman in his arms instantly, having collided into her and causing her to comically bounce backwards.

"Keh! Can't you ever watch where you're going?" he teased.

Throwing him a scathing look, Kagome haughtily turned her nose up at him, grumbled, and trudged her way past at him. She sighed dramatically when Inuyasha wouldn't relinquish her shoulders and she crossed her arms and looked up at him, an expression on her face similar to one of an exasperated mother of a restless toddler.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" Her voice was sickly sweet and patronizing.

Glaring at her, Inuyasha let go of her and walked away, towards the front door. He grunted as a response and Kagome rolled her eyes as she knew that to mean a command for her to follow him. Leisurely, she perused the coat closet, looking for a suitable coat, relishing in how the impatience nearly consumed the hanyou that glared at her from the front door.

Finally settling on one, she hurriedly grabbed her bag and locked the door behind her, only to freeze when she saw the ostentatious hunk of metal parked in her driveway.

"Seriously?" she deadpanned.

Inuyasha smirked at her, a hint of a fang poking out at her. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Boys and their cars," Kagome mumbled. She climbed into her own car and followed Inuyasha's car as they backed out and onto the streets. Kagome found herself blushing every time she ventured a look directly into the car in front of her and managed to always see the same pair of golden eyes staring back at her in the rearview mirror.

"Stupid. Doesn't he ever watch the road?" With a scoff, she continued grumbling, in a poor imitation, "I'm a hanyou, 'Gome. We're better than whiny, weak humans and we can do _anything_." She rolled her eyes and continued her mentally imbalanced, if not comical, conversation with herself as two different people.

Kagome parked in the spot next to Inuyasha's and was in the midst of grabbing her bag and opening her door before she looked up and she slammed it and jumped back against her seat. Inuyasha stood over the half open doorway, his hand gripping the car door, glaring at her through narrow, ocher-colored slits.

"We also happen to have excellent hearing."

With a sneer, Kagome brushed past him and locked the car with a satisfying beep before leaving him in the parking lot to stare at her while she marched into the coffeehouse with purpose. Unable to help himself, Inuyasha shook his head slightly while a semi goofy grin revealed itself before hiding once more. Locking his own car, he casually put his hands in his pockets, following the raven-haired women into what he was sure to be another interesting conversation.

Inuyasha was surprised when he finally walked through the glass doors of the intimate coffeehouse and _didn't_ find her waiting for him there. He felt the familiar sensation of an eyebrow ticking in annoyance. He huffed over to the hostess' podium and she smiled sheepishly at him.

"She's sitting right over there, sir."

Nodding brusquely, Inuyasha marched to the table where Kagome sat, paying him no attention as her thumbs moved across the screen of her phone, sipping from the steaming cup of coffee already in her hands. Acting as if she didn't notice the annoyed hanyou towering over her, her face rose to meet his with a genuine look of shock etched on it.

"Inuyasha?" She blinked quickly and smiled sweetly. "What in the world are you doing here?"

Rolling his golden eyes at her, Inuyasha sighed and gracelessly plopped into the seat opposite hers. "You're really taking this whole 'starting over' thing seriously, huh?"

Not responding, Kagome's lips slightly curved as she brought the cup back to her lips, her eyes smiling. "After everything that's happened, Inuyasha, I'd really like a fresh start. I'd think that you'd want that, too." She raised her eyebrows at him pointedly. "After all, you _are_ the one who barged into my home yesterday."

With a deep breath, Kagome offered another smile. "Hi, I'm Kagome." She reached her hand across the table expectantly.

Throwing her a weary look, Inuyasha humored her and shook her hand. "I'm Inuyasha."

"Nice to meet you."

Smirking back at her, Inuyasha chuckled, "You know as well as I do that you didn't think that when we met."

Widening her eyes, Kagome reached over and slapped his arm. "Excuse me! We're meeting right now." Playfully darting her eyes around to search for any eavesdroppers, she leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "For your information, my opinion of you quickly changed."

"How could I forget?"

* * *

_Nine years ago…_

_Kagome groaned while she rested her chin on the wooden picnic table. Her honey eyes roamed the scene before her with boredom. She hated these functions; business deal after business deal, Kagome was forced to come along and help paint the picture of the happy family for her parents. It was always about getting new clients, keeping old ones, and making sure that any other firm that was a threat was conquered._

_Kagome sighed again. She loved her parents. Really. But just once, she wanted to spend the weekend away from them to hang out with Sango. But no. She had to come to a stupid picnic celebrating the merger between two companies. And wear a ridiculously girly dress in order to do so. If she _had_ to come to these things, why couldn't she wear what she wanted?_

"_Appearances, Kagome, appearances. When you get to my age and have a job, you'll realize how judgmental people could be and how everything has to be spotless," Kagome mocked under her breath. Lifting her head, she watched her mother laugh at a joke that Kagome was sure wasn't funny and watched her father nod enthusiastically in agreement._

"_Gag."_

_Frowning, Kagome rose from the bench and wandered away from the picnic area towards a denser area of the woods. She relished the feeling of the sun on her face. Her mother sometimes scolded her for doing this. She kept telling Kagome how her complexion would be "marred" by freckles. Absentmindedly, Kagome lifted a finger to her face, feeling the soft skin of her cheeks that she knew was dotted by freckles. It was her mother's hope that the marks would fade by the time Kagome grew into adulthood._

_Scoffing, Kagome turned around and made her way back to the party. She knew that this business merger was different from the other ones. Apparently, the acquisition of this law firm wouldn't bolster the power of her family's. It was too small. The head of the firm was a struggling single mother who barely had anything to her name, or her son's. Actually, according to the gossip, her son was the bastard child of a well known, incredibly powerful businessman who recently died. His current wife denied his mistress and son their inheritance through some shady maneuvering on the part of her lawyers. Even the woman, Izayoi, couldn't fight them._

_Her parents took pity on Izayoi and offered a merger between her firm and theirs and the rest was… well not history. It was happening right now, as a matter of fact._

_Absorbed in her thoughts, Kagome didn't notice where she was walking and she stumbled over what she thought was a tree root. Catching herself, she gasped and held her hands out in front of her in preparation for the impact that, thankfully, never came._

"_Keh! Watch where you're going!"_

_Her face instantly twisting into a scowl, Kagome turned around and saw that the 'tree root' was actually the leg of a boy. "'Keh'? Whatever. Why don't _you_ actually sit at a table like a normal person?"_

_The boy smiled smugly at her. "You should really fix your dress. I saw your granny panties."_

_Blushing a furious shade of scarlet, Kagome hurriedly smoothed her dress down and enviously glared at his casual outfit of a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. "What are you even doing here? This is a company picnic. I'm pretty sure that scum like you aren't invited."_

_Kagome's eyebrows knit together when she noticed the smug look on the boy's face. "Oh, didn't you hear? My mom and I are the guest of honor." His mouth curved into an arrogant smirk and Kagome saw a gleam from the corner of his mouth. Her eyes widened and she noticed the fang peeking out. She also began to take notice of the boy's silver hair, amber eyes, and most importantly, the triangular shaped ears on the top of his head._

"_You're a hanyou." It was a statement, not a question._

_Narrowing his eyes at her, Kagome saw that he obviously bristled at the observation. "What the fuck is it to you?"_

_Kagome felt as if she had been slapped. No one ever talked to her like that. So she did what came to her naturally. She walked up to him, reared her arm back, and slapped him across the face. "You asshole!" She then made to stomp away but she squeaked when she felt a hand grip her wrist and pull her back. "Let me go!"_

"_NO WAY! You just _slapped_ me!"_

"_Inuyasha," a stern voice scolded._

_Kagome was surprised that the boy instantly released his hold on her and she looked up at him peculiarly. "Inuyasha…" she murmured, liking the sound of his name as she spoke it._

"_Kagome, I hope you're not antagonizing our guests and new friends."_

_Making a face, Kagome avoided turning around to see the look on her mother's face. Inuyasha caught the expression and smirked at her again. Gritting her teeth, Kagome discreetly stomped on his foot, forcing him to yelp in pain, which she enjoyed quite a lot. Then, she turned around to face her mother and found herself staring at the woman next to her mother._

_She was one of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, Kagome was sure of that. Like her mother, this woman was petite, but she had long, black hair the color of a midnight sky with kind, wide eyes that were the color of violets._

_Knowing her to be her parents' new business partner, Kagome offered a deep bow and greeted, "Nice to meet you, Takado-san. I'm glad to welcome you into the family my parents have created with their firm."_

_Offering her a gracious smile in return, Izayoi replied, "Thank you, Kagome. I feel very grateful that your parents were gracious enough to take my son and me in."_

"_Yes, Kagome. That reminds me, Inuyasha will be transferring to your school, soon. He'll be attending on scholarship. Maybe he'll be able to help you with your math," she added pointedly._

_Kagome flushed and she didn't need to look at Inuyasha to know that he was grinning mercilessly at her back, enjoying the mortification she was being put through. Instead, she put on one of the stiffest smiles, and lied through her teeth. "I'd be so… grateful." Against her better judgment, she stole a look at Inuyasha._

_She should've known. The bastard was grinning at her as if he had a new plaything. Like he was _that_ kid who liked to take the head off of dolls. Kagome shivered in disgust but retaliated by sticking her tongue out at him. Very maturely, Inuyasha followed suit._

_Izayoi and Satori exchanged similar looks. Satori, obviously not pleased, cleared her throat. "Kagome, I know that you wanted to hang out with your friends today. Your father and I decided that you can go—"_

_Kagome threw her arms around her mother and squealed with glee. "Thank you so much, Mama!" She pulled away and bowed at Izayoi respectfully. "It was very nice meeting you, Takado-san." With a glance at Inuyasha, she coldly gave him a curt nod before making her way towards the car, where the family's driver would finally, _finally_ take her away from this bore fest._

"_Kagome. I'm not done."_

_Her shoulders slumped and Kagome waited for the condition she knew was coming._

"_You can go if you take Inuyasha with you. Seeing as how he'll be your classmate soon, I think it would be a good idea for you to introduce him to your friends."_

_Kagome's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief. Sensing the outburst about to explode from her daughter, Satori held a hand up. "It's either that or you're staying here."_

_Looking helplessly at her mother, feeling ridiculously betrayed, Kagome's face fell and she walked towards an empty picnic table. Defeated, she answered, "I'll stay. I just remembered that everyone else had plans."_

_Kagome's hope for wallowing in self pity crumbled when she felt another weight settle on the opposite side of the table and she gingerly lifted her head to glare at the silver-haired hanyou stare at her with a calculating look in his eyes. He was squinting at her, as if she were some sort of math problem he couldn't solve. Damn right._

"_Do you have something to say?" she snapped._

"_Nope." Inuyasha's smirk grew more pronounced when Kagome stared at him with disgust. "But since we're going to be such close friends, I thought that maybe we should get to know each other."_

_With a harsh bark of a laugh, Kagome retorted, "You thought wrong."_

_She shoved herself away from the table and stormed off, heading towards the direction of the woods once more. Inuyasha shrugged and turned around, leaning against the table while he stared into the sea of mingling upper-class society. Feeling a light tap on his shoulder, Inuyasha looked up at his mother, who stared at him with disapproval written all over her face. He crossed his arms and pouted._

"_What now?"_

"_Inuyasha, I know that Kagome is a very nice girl. And I know how you act sometimes in certain situations." Pointedly looking in the direction Kagome took off, she continued, "We're making a new life for ourselves. Let's try and have a fresh start with everyone. Please."_

"_Keh!"_

_Izayoi nodded and returned to talking with her new business associates and when Inuyasha was sure that she wasn't looking, he walked back into the dense trees, following Kagome's scent, easy to discern from the smell of the dirt and trees. He finally found her walking along the creek, atop old stone steps that didn't look reliable. It also didn't help that with the slightest step out of balance, Kagome could either tip off of the steps into the creek or tumble down the steep hill. Inuyasha sighed and jogged towards her, a bad feeling creeping up on him._

_Just as he was within hearing distance of her and he was going to call out her name, his eyes saw it. They saw everything at once. Kagome became distracted, staring at the creek below her. She took her next step. Her foot became tangled in the hem of her dress. She fell forward and started to roll down the hill, a rocky outcrop waiting for her at the bottom._

"_Shit!"_

_Using his speed, Inuyasha was able to get to Kagome in time, not enough time to grab her and stop her fall, but in enough time that he could grab her arm and pull him towards her. As he wrapped his arms around her, he tucked her head under his chin and the momentum of her fall finally overtook the both of them. He landed on his back and they began rolling. Keeping his hold on Kagome, Inuyasha grunted as they slid and bounced down the rough hill before he managed to resist gravity long enough to claw at the dirt, slowing them down just before they rolled into the dangerous rocks at the bottom._

_Managing to have stopped with his back to the ground, he was able to make sure Kagome was okay, for the most part. He couldn't completely stop her from hitting the ground while they rolled down. His hands gently rubbed her back while he craned his neck up to look at the dark-haired girl cradled in his chest. He took notice of the various spots of mud and dirt caked onto the back of her dress and the tangled mess of her inky hair, but he couldn't see her face. Hesitantly, he touched a hand to her face and he was relieved to see her respond to the touch when she gingerly lifted her head._

"_Are you okay?" she asked worriedly._

_Inuyasha almost laughed. "_Me?_ I should be asking if _you're_ alright. Keh. Weird girl…" He looked over her face. Besides from a small scrape on her cheek, she seemed to be fine. "How bad does that hurt?"_

_She shook her head. "It's nothing. It's my wrist; I think it might be sprained."_

_The two of them looked between them and took notice of the swelling on her left wrist and how she delicately supported it._

_Carefully, taking her arm into his hand, Inuyasha cursed when he saw it. Slowly, he lifted himself into a sitting position and rearranged his hold on Kagome so that he carried her while he stood up and began walking back up the hill. Kagome blushed and looked away from him._

"_This isn't necessary. I can walk."_

"_Yeah, but this is faster." Proving his point, Inuyasha quickly began leaping back through the woods and to the picnic site._

"_Inuyasha?"_

_He was startled to hear his name coming from her mouth. He gulped and nodded in reply._

"_I'm sorry for being rude. I'm really grateful for what you just did."_

_Looking down at her face, Inuyasha saw that she was still slightly pink in the face and he couldn't suppress a small smile._

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha smiled together, fondly remembering how they met. Kagome laughed to herself. "My first broken bone," she sighed wistfully. "Could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for you."

"Yeah. You have a lot to be thankful for."

Kagome shook her head and bit her lip to fight the smile on her face. "You know, I think I might have fallen in love with you the moment I looked up and realized what you had done to save me." Seeing the look of incredulity on Inuyasha's face, she laughed and continued, "No, really! Call me an idiot all you want, but when I was younger, I was very much a sucker for finding a prince to save a damsel in distress." With another sip of coffee, she added, "Thank goodness I grew out of that."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Sure you did," he managed to rejoin coolly. His tone of voice didn't betray the breathlessness that overcame him and the feeling in his chest when he heard Kagome talk about of how she loved him. Absorbed by the sudden yearning he felt, he nearly missed her next comment.

"Ugh. What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"You married a cop, Kagome."

"Detective," she corrected.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha blew her off. "Keh! Labels. You still found your very own Prince Charming, didn't you?"

Flippantly, Kagome waved the thought away. "Fine. Moving on. What have you been doing in the past five years, Inuyasha?"

"Do you remember my major at university?"

A smile carving into her face, Kagome shook her head. "Of course. Undeclared."

Inuyasha's eyebrows came together in confusion. "Oh yeah…" He offered her a mysterious smile and he reclined in the seat, leisurely taking a gulp of coffee, relishing the slight burn of the liquid as it slid down his throat. "Well you wanted to know what I've been doing in America." Smirking at her, he revealed, "I'm a cop."

"Detective," Kagome automatically replied. Then, after finally hearing what he said, she raised her eyebrows at smiled at him disbelievingly. "You're joking."

Her eyes widened and Kagome scoffed when Inuyasha offered a smirk in reply. "No way." Kagome then narrowed her eyes at him and challenged him, "Then why did you buy this café?"

"For sting operations," he answered matter-of-factly. Calmly, he took another gulp of coffee and looked back at her unrelentingly.

She still didn't believe him.

Rolling his eyes, he amended, "Okay. It's just business. Investing in some real estate for some extra money. Some of us weren't exactly born with the ability to live in a fancy house and go to a fancy school. As much as I enjoy my job, it doesn't exactly pay for luxury. I needed money." He gestured to the full café, lightly humming with the quiet conversations of its inhabitants. "And from the looks of it, it looks like this was a good investment."

"If that's all there is to it…" Kagome commented warily. She watched him over the rim of her mug and she shook her head. "You're really a cop?"

"Detective," Inuyasha teased.

Now rolling her eyes at him, Kagome deadpanned, "Spare me."

"That's not fair. Kouga gets to be a detective and I'm just a cop?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Kagome smiled at him innocently. "Well I don't know just how honest you're being, Inuyasha." Kagome got that uneasy feeling in her stomach when Inuyasha offered her a cocky grin.

Mimicking her sugary tone, Inuyasha offered, "Why don't you just call Kouga at work and ask if there are any new transfers? I'm sure that would be easy enough for him to find out."

Frowning at him, Kagome bitterly acknowledged how infuriating it was to be talked to in that manner. But then again, that was the exact reason she used it when she spoke to him, wasn't it? Sighing, she ducked her head and spoke in a quiet voice, "Do you think that this is ever going to work out?"

Raising his eyebrows at her, Inuyasha crossed his arms and asked, "Do I think _what_ is ever going to work out?"

Lifting her head, she shook her head, looking up as if she wasn't sure either and sought the answer from the heavens. Shutting her eyes tightly, she shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know… _this_! You. Me. Together without being together. Inuyasha, we haven't really functioned like that before. As soon as we met each other…" Kagome visibly struggled to find the words that could convey her confusion and internal conflict at this convoluted attempt to be Inuyasha's _friend_. As if that were possible. "We were never really friends. We just fell into other's laps… as a couple."

Shyly, she looked up at him and saw him staring back with a familiar tenderness in his eyes. For the quickest of moments, Inuyasha's hand inched towards hers on the table and brushed her fingers softly and Kagome couldn't help but enjoy the gentle motion and frown when his hand drew back.

"I disagree. And even if that's true, there's a first time for everything, Kagome."

A small smile lifting her lips, she looked up at him and murmured, "Well if you say so…" Her heart traitorously warmed to the smile he returned and she felt comfortable, uneasily comfortable. There were too many moments like this in her memories. Too many easy smiles between them. Too many unspoken words. Too many touches.

Too much love.

And of course, too much hurt.

Flinching, Kagome leaned back against her chair. Noticing that it was just around Kouga's lunch break, she offered, "Would you like to have lunch?"

Taken aback, Inuyasha's golden eyes widened substantially before they narrowed in suspicion. "What's the catch?"

Kagome was already rising from her seat, placing a bill on the table for her drink, and putting on her coat. "There's no catch, Inuyasha. I just think that we could have a nice, friendly lunch and do what you said: catch up. I'm sure that Kouga wouldn't mind hearing about you've been doing for the past five years—"

"Hold on."

Inuyasha grabbed her arm as it was going through her coat's sleeve and he pulled her back down to her seat. "You want me to have lunch with you and your husband?"

Making a face, she snapped, "Why do you have to make it sound like that? In case you forgot, I invited you to stay over for dinner last time, but you insisted on leaving."

"Because you didn't mean it."

"That's ridiculous, Inuyasha. Why—"

"Don't lie to me, Kagome."

"Look, Inuyasha, I'm genuinely inviting you to lunch with my husband and me." Inclining her head, she added, "Unless, of course, that interferes with your plans of enticing me and seducing me. Or maybe you're lying about being transferred to Tokyo and you don't want me to find out by asking Kouga."

"I'm not lying about that and— what the fuck? How am I supposed to _entice_ you Kagome?" Inuyasha looked at her incredulously.

Laughing, Kagome stood up again and waited for him. "It's a joke. Although your reaction makes me think otherwise…" She rolled her eyes. "Now will you please stop stalling?" she huffed. "You and Kouga were really close in high school. I'm sure he'd be glad to see you," she included softly. At Inuyasha's lack of a response, Kagome pouted in disappointment. "If you change your mind, you know where the station is. That is, if you're telling the truth."

Inuyasha watched her walk out, feeling the challenge in her last comment. Grumbling, he threw on his jacket and marched after her. He nodded briskly at the several employees, recognizing their boss, greeting him and made it through the doors just in time to see Kagome pull out of her spot and disappear out of the parking lot into traffic. Inuyasha continued his grumbles while he slammed the door of his car and sped off, towards the precinct. "Can't believe she thinks I'm lying… what, she doesn't think I have what it takes?"

He scowled at Kagome while he pulled the car into the lot, noticing her smile at him as she leaned casually on her car, as if she won something. _'Well she did…'_ he conceded bitterly. _'I get to have lunch with the both of them. Yay.'_

Stalking towards her, he yelled, "So where's Kouga?"

"Right here, mutt."

Inuyasha watched as Kouga cheerfully walked towards them. Inuyasha fought the urge to flinch when he saw Kouga kiss Kagome on the top of her head endearingly. It was more than the urge to just flinch, actually. He was also fighting the urge to gag and dry heave. So he stomached the uneasiness in his… well… _stomach_ and smirked at Kouga. "Hey, wolf breath."

Making a face, Kouga teased, "Is that the best you can come up with, you albino runt?"

Chuckling weakly, Inuyasha replied, "I'm out of practice. It's been a while." He glanced at Kagome, who didn't betray whether she felt conflicted at being with both her ex-boyfriend and husband. "Five years," he mentioned offhandedly.

Kouga extended his arm and shook Inuyasha's hand. "Glad that you've moved back to Tokyo. Kagome also called while she drove over for lunch. She said that you're transferring to this precinct?" He grinned easily at him, as if this wasn't the most awkward situation of either one of their lives.

"Yeah, I start tomorrow. I got back to Tokyo last week, but they let me have a week to get situated— find a place to stay, meet with the chief, check up on my mom."

"How is she?"

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, surprised to hear the affection in her tone. He nearly forgot. When they were younger, still teenagers in high school, Kagome had to deal with the fact that her mom was diagnosed with cancer and then was hit with a huge blow from fate when Satori passed away. During that time when grief nearly consumed her, Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi, did everything she could to help Kagome. Eventually, she had come to see Kagome as a surrogate daughter. It was an affection that was sincerely reciprocated by Kagome.

"She's doing great. Enjoying retirement— all she does is take care of that damn garden."

Smiling tenderly, Kagome asked, "If you don't mind, could you ask if she'd like to have lunch with me sometime this weekend?"

"Yeah, sure."

Kouga added, "Well why doesn't everyone join in? We can call up everyone and have a big feast to celebrate being back together again. Well actually, there's a lot to celebrate."

"Like?" Kagome asked, somewhat nervously.

"You know that I've been working a lot lately because of the fact that my caseload keeps increasing. When you told me about Inuyasha, I talked to the chief." Kouga nodded at Inuyasha, "Hey I hope you don't mind, but once I heard you were transferring, I thought that maybe you wouldn't mind if I asked the chief if we could be partners."

Kouga didn't notice how Kagome stiffened and looked between him and Inuyasha, who looked equally shocked for a split second before remaining his composure. "Partners?"

"Yeah, partners! The two of us, just like back in high school."

Sarcastically, Inuyasha muttered, "Great. Now I have to spend all day with this bastard."

Inuyasha and Kouga laughed raucously as they kept throwing insults at each other, but Inuyasha worried. How could he work with, risk his life for, and count on someone who was the only obstacle between him and Kagome?

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

**Mika: **The first person to review for this story! Kudos to you, you get a virtual hug and virtual bags of candy… whatever type of candy your heart desires. Thanks so much for all your kind words. I feel like I didn't exactly have my writing legs when I wrote the first chapter (even now, I'm not too sure of myself when I write) and the fact that this story is a much more serious one than what I have written before… you helped :) As for Inuyasha cheating on Kagome and Kagome being too nice, well how many times in the series have we seen Inuyasha run off to Kikyo while Kagome let him and just sulked to herself? Also, she does love the man so she'd want him to be in her life somehow, although she knows how much trouble that'll cause her.

**Kayla !: **Thanks for the very kind review! I'm sorry I haven't been updating like you had asked but better really, enormously late than never right? And thank you for the ego boost towards my writing skills— it's greatly appreciated. As for the lemon, I can't believe that anyone would have thought it was written well. You're really being too nice. When I get to that part, I cringe and skim through it every time I reread my first chapter. I don't feel like I have quite the right touch, no pun intended lol.

**purplefirestarter:** Like I've said a million times before, you are awesome and give the most awesome reviews ever. They're always quite insightful, admiring, constructive, personal, and ego boosting. That kind of balance and its achievement is quite a feat. I'm glad that I didn't seem to come across as trying too hard when it came to having these characters more grown up than how I've written them in FNE. And I honestly do get annoyed by Kouga, but at the same time, I can't blame him— I mean, he's deluded himself into thinking he actually loves Kagome in the series so I translated that into this story. As for Sango and Miroku, I don't know how I'll fit them in… to be honest, they'll probably have a smaller role but I'd love to work them in. Just can't get enough of Miroku and his lecher-ness.

I feel like I'm writing Kagome as if she's bi-polar or something, but at the same time, I get where she's coming from. Not literally… but I know her back story. Or at least I should. And from that, I know that she was very much messed up by what happened between her and Inuyasha. Bottling up all of that emotion is never healthy. Therefore, it was bound to explode out in an unhealthy way.

And on _that_ happy note— lea, crítica, maravilla*.

*If you do not comprehend, don't be ashamed. Please feel free to use an online translator lol.


	3. Broken Strings

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything else not a figment of my imagination.**

Chapter 3: Broken Strings

* * *

**Summary: **Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school and university, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless cup of coffee when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

* * *

_Last Time…_

_"Yeah, I start tomorrow. I got back to Tokyo last week, but they let me have a week to get situated— find a place to stay, meet with the chief, check up on my mom."_

_"How is she?"_

_Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, surprised to hear the affection in her tone. He nearly forgot. When they were younger, still teenagers in high school, Kagome had to deal with the fact that her mom was diagnosed with cancer and then was hit with a huge blow from fate when Satori passed away soon after her diagnosis. During that time when grief nearly consumed her, Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi, did everything she could to help Kagome. Eventually, she had come to see Kagome as a surrogate daughter. It was an affection that was sincerely reciprocated by Kagome._

_"She's doing great. Enjoying retirement— all she does is take care of that damn garden."_

_Smiling tenderly, Kagome asked, "If you don't mind, could you ask if she'd like to have lunch with me sometime this weekend?"_

_"Yeah, sure."_

_Kouga added, "Well why doesn't everyone join in? We can call up everyone and have a big feast to celebrate being back together again. Well actually, there's a lot to celebrate."_

_"Like?" Kagome asked, somewhat nervously._

_"You know that I've been working a lot lately because of the fact that my caseload keeps increasing. When you told me about Inuyasha, I talked to the chief." Kouga nodded at Inuyasha, "Hey I hope you don't mind, but once I heard you were transferring, I thought that maybe you wouldn't mind if I asked the chief if we could be partners."_

_Kouga didn't notice how Kagome stiffened and looked between him and Inuyasha, who looked equally shocked for a split second before remaining his composure. "Partners?"_

_"Yeah, partners! The two of us, just like back in high school."_

_Sarcastically, Inuyasha muttered, "Great. Now I have to spend all day with this bastard."_

_Inuyasha and Kouga laughed raucously as they kept throwing insults at each other, but Inuyasha worried. How could he work with, risk his life for, and count on someone who was the only obstacle between him and Kagome?_

* * *

Inuyasha fought the urge to slam his head onto his desk out of pure aggravation from the shit he heard around the office. He and Kouga were in the midst of trying to take down a huge ring of arms smugglers in the area. More black market weapons meant more firefights. More firefights meant more shots fired. More shots fired meant more dead bodies. More dead bodies increase the chance of unnecessary civilian deaths. In the past month since he'd moved back to Tokyo, Inuyasha had already noticed a subtle change in the area. It wasn't exactly bedlam. In fact, it was still the relatively safe neighborhood he had known through his high school years. But that was in the area he had known from his adolescence. In the outer rings of Tokyo, it seemed as if all the violence and crime were slowly worming their way in, gnawing at the edges of town, poised to take over.

Well. Inuyasha would have to be fucking dead to let that happen.

To make matters worse, it wasn't big news that the force was becoming more and more corrupt. Even some of the higher ups were questionable. Detectives like Kouga and himself weren't exactly a dime a dozen. If there was anything he liked about his job, aside from the obvious satisfaction that he was doing the right thing— according to whatever moral compass he possessed— it was that he had Kouga for a partner. As much as they might argue, Inuyasha knew it was just talk and that Kouga really was a good man. They had fallen back into the easy camaraderie they established back in high school. The two of them, along with Miroku, were like brothers back then. The two of them were the only ones who hadn't shunned Inuyasha for being hanyou or poor, both being rare and unwanted qualities in the student population of the private academy.

With an exasperated sigh, Inuyasha reluctantly threw the heavy file in his hand onto his desk. The file thudded onto his cluttered desk and mocked him in its size. And the fact that it contained the details of a _still_ open case.

Inuyasha fought the urge to stand up and yell at everyone in the station, his head pounding from hearing their incessant conversations about everything _other_ than actual work. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to keep the headache at bay, even though he knew it would come anyway. Leaning back into his stiff chair, Inuyasha made eye contact with Kouga, who sat across from him. Kouga shared the same look of weariness and nodded in silent agreement that they weren't going to get any work done, not in this station.

Kouga looked down at his watch and cursed. Inuyasha's ear involuntarily twitched and he felt his curiosity get the better of him.

"What's up, Kouga?"

The wolf demon was already in the middle of packing up his desk, closing down his computer, and grabbing his things. "I didn't see how late it was… shit. Kagome's probably waiting with dinner. That's going to be the third time this week. I'm surprised she hasn't torn me a new one already."

Eyebrows raised, Inuyasha asked dryly, "Really?" The two locked eyes and Inuyasha smirked at Kouga.

"Well actually… I guess not. Just because Kagome has the patience of a saint sometimes doesn't mean I should test it out three times a week."

"Keh! 'Patience of a saint'? Since when? When it comes to my memories with Kagome, it takes a fucking hour for my ears to stop ringing from the sound of her shrieking at me."

Kouga laughed heartily. "Well maybe if you weren't so much of an asshole, she wouldn't have had to yell at you. I remember those arguments. My ears kept ringing, too. Why do you think I had to go to a separate university from the two of you?"

Inuyasha's expression turned stony. "Fuck off," he mumbled, picking up the file again.

At Inuyasha's sour expression, Kouga let out another boisterous laugh. "Come on, man. It's late. Why don't you come over and have dinner with us?"

Inuyasha's heart dropped. Dinner with the happy couple? No thanks. "No, it's okay. Go home. I'll be having the fine cuisine of that Wacdonald's around the corner in about half an hour." He waved the large file at Kouga. "In case you haven't noticed, some of us are actually working."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever dogface."

"Same to you, wolf boy."

"Bastard."

"Bitch."

"I'm no female mutt."

"Keh! I'd beg to differ."

Kouga put his things down on his desk and looked at Inuyasha, a serious expression coloring his face. "Really, Inuyasha, have dinner with us. This case isn't going to be solved tonight. We might as well relax for a little bit instead of kill ourselves over it." Once more, he began picking up his things. "We've already got gangs, crime lord syndicates and corrupt officials looking to take us down. I don't think we need to help them along by depriving ourselves of food and sleep."

"I already told you to go the fuck home, didn't I? Don't worry so much about me, Kouga. I might be a hanyou but the demon blood that's in me… well it's in a class of its own."

Shaking his head at Inuyasha, Kouga gave him a two fingered salute before walking out of the station without another word. Inuyasha scowled and stared back down at the file in his hands again. As he did so, he heard his stomach rumble in hunger, protesting against the long night of work Inuyasha had planned. He shoved it into a drawer and locked it with his keys, shutting down his computer and following Kouga's previous actions. He grumbled as he exited the station and made his way to his car, determined to just go to the nearest take out place, scarf down some ramen, and get back to the precinct and continue with his all nighter like he planned.

He stopped short when he saw Kouga smirking at him as he leaned against his car. Inuyasha crossed his arm and felt his lips curl into a sneer.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing on top of my baby?"

With a haughty scoff, Kouga brushed off his anger and replied, "I'm pretty sure that your baby's enjoying my ass more than it ever enjoyed yours."

"Get off of her."

Kouga held his hands up in mock surrender, stepping away from the car as Inuyasha opened the door and was about to sit in the driver's seat. "So you changed your mind?"

"Yeah. I'm going to head over to that place a couple blocks of way—"

"And get ramen. I knew that much," Kouga grumbled to himself. He muttered, "You proud bastard." Rolling his arctic eyes at Inuyasha, Kouga held his hands out towards Inuyasha, trying once more to convince him. "Just come over to my place and have a real dinner, would you? It would mean a lot to Kagome."

Inuyasha's heart jumped up to his throat and he let out a small cough. Kagome? He hadn't seen her since the day they found out he and Kouga were assigned to be partners. It wasn't that he was avoiding her… exactly. But Kouga wasn't kidding when he said that his caseload was ridiculous. The past month was full of monotony, the same routine— wake up, go to work, fall asleep at work, trudge home late at night, only to do it all over again the next morning. And Kagome... well Kouga told him enough to know that she was swamped at work, too. But she had managed to meet with his mother like she had wanted to. Inuyasha had to hear from his own mother how Kagome was. _That_ was a great conversation. Not awkward at all. Nope.

Suppressing a groan, Inuyasha grunted roughly and muttered, "Fine."

Kouga's arctic eyes widened in genuine shock mixed with an expression of being pleased with himself. "You will?"

"You're going to take it back or something?" Inuyasha snapped. "Just a second ago you were practically begging me!"

Scowling at him, Kouga countered, "I'm just surprised that you agreed so quickly." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Just follow me, I guess."

Inuyasha stared at him dumbfounded until he realized that Kouga didn't know that Inuyasha had already been to his home twice. He also realized that it meant that Kagome didn't tell Kouga about those two times, either. To be honest, Inuyasha didn't know exactly how he felt about that fact. Most of him felt that they were inconsequential visits to Kagome and so she hadn't mentioned his visits to Kouga. A small part was allowed to hope that maybe, just maybe, Kagome didn't tell Kouga because she was unsure about how she felt. That she might still have feelings for him.

A pair of bright lights flashed in his rearview mirror and Inuyasha looked out of his window and behind him, where Kouga pulled up, his passenger's side window rolled down.

"Ready?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at him and gave him a "Keh!" before shifting the car into gear and pulled out of the parking lot, following Kouga to what was an already familiar path. To Kagome. He felt as if he weren't really watching the road. He couldn't see it, at least. His mind was muddling through the repercussions of the arrangement he seemed to have gotten himself into. Direct and constant contact with the Kayasaki family. Technically, Kagome was still a Higurashi. Her family name was well known, rich, and powerful. Her father hadn't even allowed her to legally take Kouga's last name. She would forever be known as Kagome Higurashi.

The thought mollified Inuyasha, comforted him even just a little bit.

No matter what happened, she would always be Kagome Higurashi. No matter what.

Speaking of which… Kagome's father.

Inuyasha was sure that the man once had his children's best interests at heart, but at the same time, the man was more than deserving of the title of 'Dickhead'. From the brief interactions he had with him, that's certainly the impression Inuyasha garnered from the man. Sadao Higurashi was appropriately named— a decisive man indeed. Satori was always his better half. She was kind, gentle, and sweet to their children, albeit overly obedient to her husband. Sadao could be overbearing and harsh. Of course, he was much softer until Satori's death. Then, Inuyasha's secret nickname was born.

It didn't help that Sadao was truly a businessman at heart. Sure, he may have been a lawyer, but he was the head of a firm that he created. He had a legal empire. And he wanted a son and his firstborn _was_ a son. Inuyasha didn't know the whole story and whatever he had gotten out of Kagome came out in terse, clipped phrases and descriptions. Inuyasha knew his face from a singular photo on top of the mantel in the den in the Higurashi estate. From what he knew, Sadao and Satori's first child was a brilliant boy that Sadao truly loved and was grooming to follow in his footsteps. It wasn't that he didn't love his other children, but this boy was most certainly his favorite. Then tragically, when he was a teenager and Kagome was still a young girl, he was killed in an accident. One that Sadao had inexplicably blamed Kagome for. Souta was a little more than a toddler then. He was Sadao's last hope for an heir.

But Souta could never match up to the firstborn, named after Sadao. It was morbidly fitting that when the younger Sadao died, a piece of the elder died as well. The piece that held compassion for his other kids, it seemed. Even when Kagome had gotten into a top university as a pre-law major, graduating at the top of her class and gaining acceptance into one of the best law schools in Japan, it still wasn't enough for Sadao Higurashi.

Inuyasha was left wondering whether Kagome worked at a law firm separate from her family's firm in order to prove that she was good enough, because she couldn't bear to work with her father, or because her father couldn't bear to work with her.

Inuyasha surprised himself when he realized that his body seemed to be acting on autopilot as he parked in Kouga and Kagome's driveway, his hand in the middle of turning the key to off the engine. He took a deep breath and shook his head, scoffing at himself while he ran a clawed hand through his thick mane of silver. He exited the car and caught up with Kouga as they walked up the gravel and up the front steps to the front door.

Kouga twisted the doorknob and made to push but knit his eyebrows together when he noticed that the door was locked. He sighed. "I forgot. She's been locking the front door lately."

"Keh! Like she hasn't before?"

"No, not really," Kouga answered absentmindedly while searching his pockets for his keys. "Usually if she knew I was working really late or was going to be out of town, then she'd lock it. But on a normal day, she wouldn't. Recently, she's been locking the door though. I wonder if maybe she's gotten some threats at work, maybe a high profile case or something. I'll have to talk to her about that… Fuck! Where the fuck did I put my keys?"

"Hey shitface, maybe the smart thing to do would be to just call your goddamn wife and let her know we're standing like two fuckheads in the freezing cold. Or better yet, ring the damn doorbell and worry about your stupid keys later!" Inuyasha snapped. He scowled while he thought about how _he_ might be the cause of Kagome locking her doors.

_Inuyasha explained, "You left the door open when you came in to put your briefcase down… You should really lock your door as soon as you enter the house."_

_"Spare me."_

With a glare, Kouga rang the doorbell and grudgingly admitted to himself that the December air was slightly getting to him. Slightly. He mocked, "What's wrong, Inuyasha? Mutts don't like the cold?"

Narrowing his eyes at him, Inuyasha threatened, "Maybe I should get myself a new coat made out of wolf fur."

Warm air and soft light enveloped the two men as Kagome pulled open the door open. "That's just the kind of conversation I want to hear from my husband and our guest. Who knew I surrounded myself with such polite gentlemen?" Kagome's sarcasm managed to cut through the heated glares between the two men and she pulled the door open even more, stepping to the side. "If it's really that cold, maybe you two should come in and shut up," she scolded.

Kagome closed the door after them and made her way back to the kitchen. "Dinner's ready," she called. "Just let me go down to the cellar and grab some wine." She looked over her shoulder and scrutinized Kouga and Inuyasha with a measured gaze. "Try not to kill each other," she quipped.

Kouga made a face while Inuyasha rolled his eyes again. They shared a look before they wandered into the dining room, the table set with silverware and the center of the table already occupied by the still hot dishes Kagome had prepared, steam swirling up.

"So what do you think about the place?"

About to retort with how the house looks the same as the last two times he had been in it, Inuyasha froze and nearly bit his tongue to stop himself. Right. It was his "first time" in it.

He settled for, "It's nice."

With a small smile and shake of his head, Kouga sat down at the head of the table just as Kagome entered, a bottle cradled in her small hands. She put the wine in the chilled bucket before putting her hands on her hips. "Nice of you to start dinner without properly greeting your wife."

A devilish gleam appeared in Kouga's blue eyes and Inuyasha widened his own. "Oh no! I'm not about to puke up my dinner before I've eaten it." While it sounded like he said it jokingly and immaturely, Inuyasha meant the sentiment more than he could ever understand. It was one thing to _hear_ about the happy couple but a whole other matter to actually witness it.

"In _that _case…"

Kouga moved towards Kagome, but she held a hand up. "Okay, first of all, that's rude. Second of all, I wasn't looking for anything like that. Just a simple acknowledgement would have sufficed." She still couldn't stop the blush that appeared on her cheeks.

Upon seeing her blush, Kouga smiled and replied, "Of course not. I was just teasing Inu-kaka here."

"Really? That's the best you could come up with?" Inuyasha drawled.

Giving Kagome a quick peck on the cheek before sitting back down, he shrugged while he helped himself to dinner.

Inuyasha looked away from him and across the table to Kagome, who was staring at him. Once more, she blushed, and looked down at her plate, continuing to move food from the platters onto her plate. She quickly poured herself a glass of wine and took several large gulps.

For the most part, dinner passed by without much incident. Once more, Inuyasha was astounded at the growth of Kagome's culinary skills, though he couldn't restrain himself from snapping when his tongue came into contact with that spicy crap Kagome called food— curry. Kagome was pleasantly surprised at the banter between Kouga and Inuyasha, mean and vulgar but altogether harmless and the constant in their long friendship. She even found herself laughing at some of the barbed words. There were even times when all three of them would burst into laughter at some long forgotten memory of their youth. As Kagome took another sip from her wine glass, she couldn't help but smile over the glass at Inuyasha who held a smirk on his face over the latest story involving some kind of car chase he and Kouga had gotten themselves into that involved a very wet stain on Kouga's crotch that he swore was his coffee. His smirk grew and she almost snorted into her wine.

Putting down the empty glass, Kagome stood from her chair and started clearing the empty plates. When she reached across the table to take Inuyasha's, he protested.

"No, I'll help you."

"You're the guest," Kagome argued.

"And as the guest, you should respect my wishes to help you, damn it."

Holding a hand up in surrender, Kagome rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Looking back at him, she shook her head and murmured, "Still so stubborn…" Taking her and Kouga's plate and utensils, she disappeared into the kitchen and Inuyasha distinctly heard the _clink_ of the dining ware hitting the sink.

Kouga chuckled softly. "Well you two haven't changed much." At Inuyasha's expression, Kouga narrowed his eyes and scowled. "Don't give me that look, dogbreath."

He took the empty wine glasses and joined Kagome in the kitchen. Sulking, Inuyasha took his plate and several of the empty serving dishes as he followed Kouga. He placed the empty plates and platters on the counter next to the sink, Kagome acknowledging them with a short nod.

"Do you two think you'll manage to keep from killing each other for a couple of minutes?"

Kagome stopped her motions and turned off the faucet. She looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to run to that bakery nearby and get some dessert. I'm in the mood for something sweet."

With a light, tinkling laugh, Kagome returned to washing the dishes and joked, "Kouga, you're _always_ in the mood for something sweet."

Kouga's lips lightly brushed over Kagome's neck and he whispered, "That's why I married you, isn't it?" He easily evaded her soapy hand reaching back to swat him away. "Like you said earlier Kagome," his voice mimicked a falsetto as he quipped, "Try not to kill each other."

Kagome looked behind her once more, the corners of her lips quirking upwards as she watched him vanish through the front door. She looked to her side and raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha. "Well you wanted to help. Dive in." She moved over so that while she washed, Inuyasha would have plenty of room to dry and place everything on a drying rack.

"Kouga's been telling me about how the two of you have so much work to do."

"He's been saying the same about you."

"He discusses my cases at work?"

"Not explicitly. He just mentions that you're under a lot of stress right now." He scowled at her. "He may have also mentioned some threats…"

With a click of her tongue, Kagome dismissed the notion. "It's nothing like that. I just have a huge workload right now. No thanks to the two of you."

"Meaning what?" Inuyasha asked, his voice raising and his tone becoming defensive.

Giving him a long suffering sigh, she muttered, "You either take things too seriously or the wrong way." She continued, "It was a backwards compliment, Inuyasha. With all the work you and Kouga have done, bulldozing through all these new crime syndicates and corrupt government officials, I think _every _lawyer has been overworked— defense lawyers and prosecutors alike, from every district in the greater part of Tokyo. Hell, I'm a corporate lawyer, but even my firm is involved because your investigations have turned up names from some of the most prominent corporate heads in Japan. Don't get me wrong, I'd never defend those men but that just means that I get the cases that get passed over in favor of the high profile ones." She looked up at him with a small smile on her face. "Which are a lot." Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Are you _trying_ to kill me or something?"

Roughly taking the plate from her hand and drying with more force than necessary, Inuyasha grumbled, "That's not funny."

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings?"

He sniffed and haughtily took the next plate from her. "No."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"It's not funny, though. A threat against you, especially one made by a head of a huge crime syndicate isn't something to take lightly, Kagome." His eyes bore into hers and his mind struggled to find the right words to let him say what he wanted without crossing the line. Looking down at the plate in his hands, he murmured, "If anything happened to you…"

Kagome felt the familiar heat of a blush creeping up onto her cheeks and quickly looked down at her soapy hands, watching the suds disappear down the drain before deciding to chance another look at Inuyasha.

They both looked at each other from the corner of their eye and shared a smile before Kagome stiffened and tore her gaze away, focused on scrubbing the plate, even to the point where it seemed her goal was to scrub away the delicate china pattern painted on it. It was too much for her. Sending dulled insults to each other in nothing but their quiet companionship and sharing small, hidden smiles. It was too much. Kagome was already treading in dangerous territory. She was about to start floundering. She needed anything, would do anything for a quick reprieve— a gasp of air.

A jolt passed through her and she looked down to see Inuyasha's hand wrapped over her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

Inuyasha's golden eyes widened in confusion before they narrowed into concern. "What am _I _doing? Kagome, your hands are shaking and you just dropped the plate back into the sink."

"Crap! These were my mother's!" Her eyes looked down in horror before her entire face relaxed when she saw that it hadn't broken. "Oh thank Kami," she whispered. Her hands immediately went over her mouth, despite the fact that the lower portion of Kagome's face was now wet and the taste of dishwasher soap was on her tongue. "If I broke her plates—" Tears began to pool in her eyes and she reached for something to wipe her face with.

A steady hand already held a small towel to her cheek, gently wiping away tears and dishwater, Inuyasha's hands moving familiarly down her cheeks, over the swell of her lips, and back up to softly dab at her eyes. When he pulled back, Kagome's wet eyelashes were the only sign of her emotional upheaval.

Kagome turned her head away. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I didn't mean to start crying in front of you." Dabbing at her eyes once more, she looked back and saw his face contort, as he seemed to be stressed about something. Before she could ask, she was enveloped by his arms and completely surrounded by his presence.

"Idiot. I only hate it when you cry because I don't want to see you sad." His body began to follow an old but memorable path as his hands moved from stroking her thick hair to rubbing her back and he buried his face in her hair, in a pattern he hadn't done in years, to anyone. "I know how much you love your mom. I know how much her stuff means to you."

Kagome's hands slowly crawled out from between the two of them to clutch at his back, nodding into his chest as her grief about her mother was reawakened.

* * *

_Kagome and Inuyasha hurried through the dark, up the steps to Higurashi Shrine, and abruptly stopped as Inuyasha grabbed Kagome from behind, spun her around, and captured her lips with his, holding her tight against him. She squealed in a unique, Kagome-ish mixture of surprise, indignation, and giddiness. Her hands cradled his face as she earnestly responded, her lips eagerly moving against his while her body molded itself against Inuyasha's._

_She pulled back slightly, a hair's width between their lips, and sighed. "Inuyasha, come on. It's late. I don't want my dad to find out that I snuck out again." Despite her words, her eyes quickly flicked from his gaze down to his lips and Inuyasha found it hard to fight the smirk that crept up on his lips._

_Seeing his smirk, Kagome rolled her eyes and smacked his chest lightly. "Stop that!"_

_The smirk grew more pronounced and Kagome laughed lightly as she tried to fight against Inuyasha's arms pulling her in, closer. He leaned down, his face coming closer, and Kagome couldn't help but let her eyelids close. She could feel his warm breath against her lips before it moved across her cheek, swept against her hair, and settled, fanning against her ear._

"_Are you sure?"_

_Her very intelligent response was "Huh?"_

_She could feel his chest rumble with silent laughter, their bodies were that close. Kagome could hear the smile in his voice as he repeated his question._

"_Are you sure you want me to stop?"_

_Inuyasha's warm breath found itself back on her lips and she had just tilted her face up, slowly lifting herself up onto the tips of her toes. Their lips just brushed each other and she sighed. When they finally pressed together, a bright, disorienting light appeared, one she could see even behind her closed eyes._

_Before she knew it, her feet weren't even on the ground anymore, but Kagome didn't panic. At least not about being on the ground. She felt Inuyasha's strong and capable arm around her waist. There was the familiar rush of air blowing in her hair and on her face. Like many times before, she felt herself settle against Inuyasha as they sat on a tall branch of the tree conveniently positioned near Kagome's bedroom window, hidden from below by the thick foliage._

_Kagome could still make out the silhouette of her father's shadow in the light from the open front door._

_Looking back at Inuyasha, he nodded and she shimmied down the branch towards her window and slipped into her room, managing to silently walk across the hardwood floor, take off her shoes, and slip back into her bed before her bedroom door opened._

_Inuyasha knew that her father wouldn't be able to see him but he couldn't help but instinctually press his back even further into the tree trunk. His gold eyes were trained carefully on Sadao. Kagome's father slowly stepped into the room, hesitating slightly at the threshold, before making his way to Kagome. He could hear the slight hitch in Kagome's otherwise even breathing. He cursed under his breath. Inuyasha thought that they had been more careful. The last time Kagome was caught sneaking out with him, Sadao Higurashi had kept her under severe lockdown that had prevented the two teens from seeing each other for nearly a month. Somehow, Satori had managed to convince her husband to let up on Kagome's restriction. And then she had gotten diagnosed and Sadao spent most of his nights at the hospital and didn't come home until it was so late it was considered morning._

_As much as it may seem that Kagome's staying out late to meet with Inuyasha was clandestine or heartless, considering the circumstances under which she received her freedom, most of their nights together was spent with Inuyasha consoling Kagome over Satori's illness and trying to get her to smile again. During the day, after school— or throughout the whole day if it was the weekend— he would take Kagome to the hospital and let her be with her mother. But at night, he did whatever he could to get Kagome's mind off of her stricken mother. If the method of the night happened to be less-than-chaste physical contact, then so be it._

_Sadao sat on the edge of Kagome's bed and Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he tried to discern the difference he was noticing in the man. Sadao was slumped over, his shoulders hunched, and his hair was tousled. His shirt was wrinkled and disheveled and his head hung down. His hand rested lightly on Kagome's shoulder and shook her awake. Kagome feigned grogginess and disorientation as she sat up slowly and took in the sight of her father._

_Inuyasha's ears easily picked up on their conversation and he was eager to know if they had gotten caught and how long they would have to be separated this time. He already felt the hard rock settling in his stomach at the thought of being separated from Kagome._

"_Dad? What's going on?" Kagome rubbed at her eyes rather convincingly. "Did you just get home?"_

_Letting out a heavy sigh, Sadao nodded. "Kagome, it's your mom… she… she passed away earlier tonight."_

_Inuyasha nearly fell out of the tree. His stomach sank. His throat closed up. His vision began to become blurry with tears. His heart was breaking into a million pieces at the sound of Kagome's cry of disbelief and agony. His claws were embedded into the bark of the tree branch he was sitting on, grounding him and restraining him from running into Kagome's room to wrap her up and squeeze the life out of her, just to hold her for the sake of being as close as possible to her while her whole world fell apart._

_He watched as she clutched onto the front of her father's shirt, her face hiding in it as her back heaved with sobs. Sadao patted her comfortingly and once her violent sobs receded, he helped her lay back down into bed and left her room, shutting the door behind him with a _click_ that was thunderous in the heavy silence of the Higurashi home... the family home that Satori had grown up in and convinced her husband to live in despite their ability to live in a much more ornate home. The home that would no longer feel the same anymore without the presence of Satori Higurashi._

_In an instant, Inuyasha had gone into Kagome's room, slid under the covers of her bed, and let his arms encircle her, just as he had wanted to. Inuyasha pulled her closer to him, her back flush against his chest and the top of her head tucked underneath his chin. Her arms hugged the ones surrounding her and she began to cry silently, the tears pooling below her. He could fill them drip onto his shoulder and he turned Kagome around so that she cried into his chest. Her arms found their way around him, much smaller and not quite reaching all the way around. He kissed the crown of her head and held it in place under his chin while she cried herself to sleep against him._

_The next week flew by in a hurried blur of grief. Mourners sent their condolences in the forms of cards, food, and large bouquets. There were unheard speeches made about Satori in front of people who didn't really matter, in Kagome's opinion. Kagome watched her mother's serene expression become sealed off by wood and buried underneath dirt. At the funeral, she sat unobtrusively, holding Souta as he openly wept. She barely acknowledged her father's hand on her shoulder as he passed by his children while he moved around the room, receiving everyone's meaningless words of consolation._

_Her Jii-chan, her mother's father, sat solemnly in the corner. He came over and took Souta's prone form from her when they finally left. Kagome hesitated as she followed her family— now just her father, grandfather, and brother— to the car. She turned away and broke into a sprint, through the rain towards the most recent pile of upturned earth in the entire cemetery. She bawled over the marker of her mother's grave, knelt onto the mud and dug her hands into the ground, as if by holding onto the ground that held her mother, Kagome wouldn't have to let go._

_Masculine voices whispered in the background before she felt arms around her shoulders. Thinking it was her father pulling her away, Kagome jerked at the touch. When she noticed that the touch wasn't taking her anywhere, merely supporting her, feeling the same pain she did, she relaxed into the embrace. Kagome leaned back into Inuyasha's arms while they both sat in the mud, their tears mixed with the falling rain while Kagome ached for her mother and Inuyasha felt the pain of Kagome's sadness. He touched his lips into her wet hair, smelling everything. The grass. The ground. The rain. The overwhelming scent of death and decay and grief. Inuyasha sought and found solace in the scent of Kagome, however marred it may be by her pain. It was still her. She was still here. She might have been slightly broken by this, but she was still here._

* * *

Inuyasha took a deep breath, the intake of Kagome's scent soothing him like it had always done.

Like it always did.

A crease formed between his eyebrows as he took another tentative sniff. Still the same. Always Kagome.

'_That can't be right,'_ he thought, perplexed. _'She can't still smell the same. It's not possible if she's mates with Kouga.'_

Inuyasha was so stunned by his sudden revelation he didn't register when Kagome moved away from him.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." She looked down at her feet shyly. "You know that I couldn't have gotten through that without you. I— what?" Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with a quizzical expression. Inuyasha was staring at her with wide eyes.

'_I had never noticed… It had been so long. _So_ fucking long since I've seen her. I wasn't taking notice of it. I was so happy to see her again…'_

"Inuyasha?"

"You're not mates."

Kagome raised her eyebrows at him. "Excuse me?" She was bewildered at the sudden change of topic. "Who? Kouga and I? We're married."

"But you're not mates," Inuyasha repeated evenly. "Your scent hasn't changed at all. You have no bite mark."

Kagome insisted, "Sure, but we're still married." Her honey eyes narrowed in a mixture of confusion and distrust.

"Some demons don't follow stupid human institutions like marriage. Mating is much deeper than that."

"And what kind of demon would try and interfere with my marriage?" Kagome demanded.

The question hung between them heavily while they stared each other down. Kagome immediately regretted the implications of her words and she lowered her eyes from Inuyasha's gaze. She began to open her mouth to apologize when Inuyasha coldly countered her question.

"Maybe you should really think about how much Kouga wants you if he's not willing to completely mate with you."

Her head recoiling back like she had been slapped in the face, Kagome quickly recovered and retorted, "Well if you want to know, you arrogant dick, he's never brought it up because I asked him not to. And furthermore, I don't need to worry about _his_ fidelity because I _know_ he'd never betray me like that!"

It was Inuyasha's turn to flinch in shock at Kagome's words. All right. He had deserved that. His arms hung limply at his side and he turned his head away from her, his bangs casting a shadow over his face, hiding his expression from Kagome. His hands quickly clenched into fists before they relaxed at his sides again.

Kagome's expression faded from anger to horror at what she had said and she reached out to Inuyasha apologetically but he stepped back.

"No, it's fine. It… That was fair."

Shaking her head, Kagome hugged one arm and mumbled, "No, Inuyasha, that really wasn't. I'm sorry. I just keep bringing that up, don't I?"

He brushed her off with a shrug.

Sighing, Kagome whispered brokenly.

Even with his hearing, Inuyasha couldn't hear her so he looked back at her and locked eyes with her. Kagome bit her lip and it was her turn to look away this time.

"Why is it that we can't be alone together for more than ten minutes without one of us hurting the other?" she asked meekly.

Kagome looked back when she heard the soft chuckle and saw the corners of Inuyasha's lips quirk upwards into a small smile. "It's part of our charm, I guess." The smile disappeared and he was contrite as he continued, "Look, Kagome, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to look out for you, I promise. It's just that mating… it… most new mates— well it kind of happens rather quickly if you get what I mean."

"I know." Kagome flashed him a small, understanding smile. "And it's not because Kouga doesn't want to. It's because _I _don't want to. The whole idea of mates and being so completely tied to someone forever, I mean, you're right. It's much deeper than marriage. While I still believe that marriage is for forever, mating… is a whole other ballpark. I don't know if I can handle that kind of commitment." With another sigh, she began to continue.

Holding up a hand, Inuyasha stopped her. "Hey, it's not my business. You don't have to explain anything to me. As long as everything's all right between the two of you, whatever you guys decide is between you." He went back to drying and putting away the dishes they had been washing while Kagome stared at him dumbstruck.

'_You don't understand, Inuyasha. I think that… if it had been you asking… I would agree to it.'_

She allowed her fingers to brush over his a second longer than necessary while she took the dry plates from him and put them back in the cupboard, giving him a small, serene smile. He mirrored the expression and watched her methodically put every piece of silverware back in the correct cupboard, cabinet, or drawer. Kagome began to pull out some forks and mugs. Already knowing where she was going with this, Inuyasha beat her to the coffeemaker and started the machine.

Kagome smiled at him in thanks, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "The bakery that Kouga went to has a really great crumb cake. I'm sure that's what he got. Coffee would be good with it. And I think you'll need a thermos or two for the all nighter you're going to pull tonight, right?"

Smirking at her, Inuyasha teased, "What makes you say that?"

"Like we said, all the work you and Kouga have been doing, _no one's_ getting a full night's sleep anymore. I'm sure that there's _some_ case back at the precinct that's bothering you. And you won't stop until you solve it."

"Because I have an astounding work ethic."

Making a face at him, Kagome scoffed. "Because you don't like to lose." Inuyasha glared at her. "But also because you're a good man, Inuyasha. You want to make sure that justice is carried out and you'll work hard to get that." She turned around from where she was fiddling with the coffeepot and cups and placed a hand on a cocked hip. "Simple as pie."

Glancing at the counter behind her, Inuyasha saw that she had already prepared two thermoses for him. He was about to reply when another voice cut in.

"I think you mean "cake", Kagome." Kouga strolled in jovially, a small box wrapped in twine in his hands. He put it on the table and untied the string, opening to reveal what smelled and looked like a freshly baked crumb cake.

Inuyasha and Kagome locked eyes behind Kouga and Kagome smirked at him. Inuyasha's lips couldn't resist the upward pull into a lopsided grin and he fought the urge to chuckle. Instead, he clapped Kouga on the back, hard enough for Kouga to stumble forward. Ignoring the icy glare from the wolf demon, Inuyasha sneered, "Well come on, are you going to eat the goddamn thing or stare at it all night?"

Sensing another argument, Kagome sighed and held a hand to her temple. "Boys, don't even start. It's been a long day." She shook her head as she glanced between Inuyasha and Kouga. She kissed Kouga on the cheek and surprised Inuyasha with a kiss of his own. "I'm tired and I think I'm going to call it a night. Don't make a mess… and don't kill each other. We just redid the kitchen— don't need blood all over the hardwood floors." She threw them a mischievous smile over her shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen and they could hear her footsteps receding upwards towards the master bedroom.

Inuyasha looked back and saw Kouga carefully cutting slivers of the cake and setting aside the slices.

"What do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest. "I hope that's not all for you."

Kouga shrugged. "Just in case. I'm going to leave Kagome some slices in the event that the rest of the cake gets messed up if we fight and it ends up on the floor."

"Keh! Fat chance of that happening; that thing's going in my stomach _now_."

"Hey buddy, this is _my_ house and I get the first slice of cake!"

"Oh yeah?"

Kagome looked down the stairs and smiled softly, shaking her head while she let the two of them argue, continuing her way towards the bedroom, hoping some sleep would help get her over the turmoil she'd felt for the past month since reconnecting with Inuyasha. She took her time going through her bedtime rituals. Languorously undressing and folding her clothes— tossing her underwear in the laundry basket, putting away her blouse and pants. Reveling in the comforting, soft feel of cotton over her skin as she put on a tank top and a pair of pajama pants. She splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth leisurely before she climbed into bed, pulling the covers over her.

Sighing deeply, Kagome groaned and threw them away from her after fifteen minutes, as she couldn't fall asleep. She attempted every position possible: on her stomach, on her back, her left side, the other, spread out, curled into a ball. She finally found herself with her head hanging over the edge before she lifted it to glance at the illuminated numbers of the alarm clock on the nightstand. She had been tossing and turning for nearly forty five minutes. With another groan, she threw her legs over the edge of the bed, fighting the urge to stomp out her frustrations. Barefoot, she made her way back downstairs and into her kitchen, pulling up short when she saw Inuyasha and Kouga acting chummy while eating cake.

The two men stared up at her with mirrored facial expressions akin to something like two little boys who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Shaking off her initial shock, she cut into their conversation, "Well, I hope you two managed to remember to save me some."

Kouga shifted, standing up, out of his chair and walked towards her, his arms already extended for a hug. He widened his eyes in surprise. "I thought you were going to bed."

"Yeah. Me too," she muttered, already making a beeline for the cake she saw was set aside. Although, she bypassed his hug, her lips brushed Kouga's absentmindedly, murmuring, "Thanks for saving me some." She grabbed a plate and took a slice, settling down in the stool next to Kouga's vacant one, reaching across the wooden island for a fork. Kagome began to dig into her cake while Inuyasha and Kouga shared bemused expressions.

"Uh… Kagome? I thought you were going to bed," Kouga repeated.

Busy chewing, she shrugged. With a loud gulp, she explained, "I tried. Can't sleep." She put another forkful of cake into her mouth before continuing. "I'm exhausted, but my mind won't shut off."

Kouga stood behind her and snaked a reassuring arm around Kagome's shoulders, hugging her tightly while Inuyasha ducked his head, staring at his empty plate, his fingers clenching and unclenching around his fork like a pulse. Kagome looked at him worriedly. She felt herself somewhat torn between leaning into her husband's embrace, an action she knew was perfectly acceptable, and pulling away— obviously a sign to Kouga that something was wrong. Which it wasn't. Instead, Kagome stayed stationary.

She rubbed her face in her palm before running the hand through her thick hair. "I'll be fine. I just need to…"

"What you need is time to relax." Kouga took his arm away and leaned onto the island, his weight resting on his folded arms. "Maybe we should get away this weekend. No work, no stress."

"Kouga, you have so much work to do," Kagome countered. "And you can't leave Inuyasha with everything." She looked pointedly at the silver-haired hanyou, whose face held an undeniably uncomfortable expression.

"Don't worry about me, Kagome." Inuyasha abruptly stood up, bringing his plate to the sink before either Kouga or Kagome could stop him. He turned to face the couple, a strange, detached look on his face. "I should probably be heading back to the station right now, actually." He smirked at Kouga and teased, "_Some_ of us are working."

Kouga shook his head and laughed but Kagome still held a look of concern on her face. She didn't quite believe Inuyasha. She knew his smirks. There were different kinds of smirks, only _she_ could tell the difference. And she knew the one he had plastered on his face was fake. Heartbreakingly fake. The two locked eyes and she opened her mouth to speak, but Inuyasha beat her to it.

"Where do you two think you'll be going?"

"I don't want to go anywhere." Kagome ignored Kouga as he began to protest. "I'm not running myself ragged and Inuyasha's right. I have a lot to work to do this weekend." She lifted her hand and gently touched it to Kouga's cheek. "Maybe in a couple of months when everything dies down, okay?" She smiled softly at him and Kouga returned the gesture.

Looking between the two, Kagome rolled her eyes. "Okay, boys. Say your goodbyes. You can play again tomorrow."

Inuyasha and Kouga scowled at each other then at her, bristling of their being treated like two kids on a play date. Kagome responded to the scowls with light laughter. "Kouga, why don't you go on up while I put everything in the sink? I promise I won't clean; I'll worry about it tomorrow morning."

Kouga gave Inuyasha a good natured punch on the shoulder before moving past him to head upstairs. "I'll see you tomorrow, dog face. Going to be a long day… maybe you should head home, too."

"Keh! Worry about yourself. I can handle it."

Kagome could practically see Kouga roll his eyes as he barked out a loud laugh, the sounds of his footsteps dimming as he continued his way upstairs into their bedroom. She arched an eyebrow at the hanyou still in her kitchen.

Shifting uncomfortable under her gaze, Inuyasha murmured, "I should probably get going."

"You should." Rising from her seat, Kagome took her and Kouga's dishes over to the sink to soak in water. She turned and leaned back against the counter, her gaze fixed on him. "Inuyasha… I…"

"You don't have to tell me.

"I— huh?"

"Don't tell me that I was the only one who thought that was awkward as fuck. The only one who probably didn't notice was that dense wolf." A sad look washed over him and Inuyasha's voice became very soft. "I think it's better if we just stop… whatever it is that we were trying to accomplish."

He strode towards her and Kagome felt her breath hitch. She tried to move away but realized that she was already pressed up against the kitchen counter. She looked up and all of a sudden, he was _everywhere_. Inuyasha stood in front of her, his arms trapping her as he leaned on the counter. He was so close that Kagome could smell his familiar scent, could hear the familiar rhythm of the heart in his chest. He was all that she could sense as he towered over her, his golden eyes boring into hers.

She couldn't take it anymore.

Inuyasha was so shocked when Kagome threw herself into his arms that he nearly staggered back. His arms immediately moved to encircle her and he held on to her as tightly as she clutched him. Before he could say anything, she pulled her face away from his chest and turned her sweet, honest eyes towards his.

"Just… let me hold you for the last time. It's the last time I think I'll ever feel again."

Inuyasha squeezed tighter. "That's not true, Kagome. You have the biggest heart and I'm grateful that you even let me into it once."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome tenderly placed a hand on his cheek. "You never left. I may love you less than before… but I still love you."

Kagome could never have expected how a simple sentence could feel so heavy and freeing at the same. She stepped out of his embrace and walked to the front door, holding it open. "You should go home, Inuyasha. It's late and we both have a lot of work to do in the morning." Kagome nearly winced from the banality of her words.

Inuyasha nodded and made his way through the house, pausing before the open door to gently press his lips against her forehead— a simple goodbye kiss, she knew— and walked out into darkness. Kagome leaned against the doorframe, watching as the lights of his car dimmed into nothing.

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

**TheKnight000**: Thank you, thank you, thank you! Big hugs all around! :3

**jwong104:** Was this soon enough? Trust me, this is an apocalyptic act. I consider this fast for an update from me lol. But thank you! As they say, the truth's in the details.

**Inuyasha's girl 1415**: If you can believe it, this update actually was done at a pace of ASAP. Sad, isn't it? Wah. Thanks for the excited review; please accept my apologies at the abysmal update pace.

I don't want to make any excuses but I'm a university freshman right now. Time management is a whole new jungle to navigate through. Unfortunately, writing got pushed further and further down the list of priorities. Still trying, though! Read, review, wonder :)


	4. I Dreamed A Dream

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything else not a figment of my imagination.**

Chapter 4: I Dreamed A Dream

* * *

**Summary: **Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school and university, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless cup of coffee when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

* * *

_Last Time…_

_"Don't tell me that I was the only one who thought that was awkward as fuck. The only one who probably didn't notice was that dense wolf." A sad look washed over him and Inuyasha's voice became very soft. "I think it's better if we just stop… whatever it is that we were trying to accomplish."_

_He strode towards her and Kagome felt her breath hitch. She tried to move away but realized that she was already pressed up against the kitchen counter. She looked up and all of a sudden, he was __everywhere__. Inuyasha stood in front of her, his arms trapping her as he leaned on the counter. He was so close that Kagome could smell his familiar scent, could hear the familiar rhythm of the heart in his chest. He was all that she could sense as he towered over her, his golden eyes boring into hers._

_She couldn't take it anymore._

_Inuyasha was so shocked when Kagome threw herself into his arms that he nearly staggered back. His arms immediately moved to encircle her and he held on to her as tightly as she clutched him. Before he could say anything, she pulled her face away from his chest and turned her sweet, honest eyes towards his._

_"Just… let me hold you for the last time. It's the last time I think I'll ever feel again."_

_Inuyasha squeezed tighter. "That's not true, Kagome. You have the biggest heart and I'm grateful that you even let me into it once."_

_"Inuyasha…" Kagome tenderly placed a hand on his cheek. "You never left. I may love you less than before… but I still love you."_

_Kagome could never have expected how a simple sentence could feel so heavy and freeing at the same. She stepped out of his embrace and walked to the front door, holding it open. "You should go home, Inuyasha. It's late and we both have a lot of work to do in the morning." Kagome nearly winced from the banality of her words._

_Inuyasha nodded and made his way through the house, pausing before the open door to gently press his lips against her forehead— a simple goodbye kiss, she knew— and walked out into darkness. Kagome leaned against the doorframe, watching as the lights of his car dimmed into nothing._

* * *

With another sigh, Kagome leafed through the papers in the file, her eyes drifting out her window again. Frustrated, she leaned back in her chair, her forefinger and thumb rubbing her eyes, attempting to relieve the weariness that settled upon them. To say that the past few months were stressful was a gross understatement. Neither she nor Kouga got much sleep and they both knew how they were running themselves ragged with the work they put in. They barely had time for themselves, let alone each other. She tried to stay up and wait for Kouga to come home, but he just came home too late that she fell asleep or he ended up falling asleep at the station. Sometimes it was the other way around and she found herself waking up with a stiff neck as she removed the file that had stuck to her face when she fell asleep at her desk in the office.

And Inuyasha…

Kagome knew from how Kouga talked that the situation wasn't too different for the hanyou. Kouga complained about the workload, using it as an explanation as to why Inuyasha didn't come to the house anymore when Kouga invited him. Kagome sighed again.

The two hadn't seen each other since before the December holidays and when her eyes glanced out of her window, Kagome could already see the beginning signs of spring. She still had his present hidden in the back of the closet. She didn't know what to do with it. She supposed that she could ask Kouga to pass it on, blame its lateness on her forgetfulness or the fact that she hadn't seen him but the thing was… _she_ wanted to give it to him— watch his face as he opened the present and hoped that he liked it.

Suppressing another sigh, Kagome pushed Inuyasha to the back of her mind and concentrated on the file in front of her once more. Finally, when she was getting back into the state of mind that allowed the most production, she was disrupted by an obnoxious beep and a flashing red light on her phone, indicating her secretary paging her on the intercom.

Kagome pressed the intercom button, her eyes never leaving the pile of papers scattered in front of her. "Chiro, I told you that I wasn't going to be accepting any calls today," she reminded her.

"I'm aware of that, Mrs. Higurashi, but—"

"Chiro…" Kagome warned playfully.

"I'm sorry. Kagome. But there's someone here to see you."

Kagome looked away from the papers and at the phone, raising an eyebrow. "I have no meetings or consultations scheduled. Tell this person that if no appointment's been scheduled, then I can't take any time to meet. It's also rude and inconsiderate and that if he or she would like to work with me, then I suggest learning some basic manners."

The door to her office opened abruptly and Kagome stood quickly, placing her hands on the desk, slightly leaning forward, ready to tell off whoever barged in.

Chiro attempted to block the doorway but she shrunk and reluctantly stood to the side. "Sir, please. I can't let you in. Mrs. Higurashi isn't interested in—"

Kagome exhaled forcefully and closed her eyes as she spoke. "Sir, if you'll please listen to my secretary, I don't have the time to meet with anyone and you didn't give me the decency of scheduling an appointment so I'll have to ask you to leave before I call security."

"You would call security on your own father?" the cool voice replied.

Snapping her eyes open, Kagome's jaw hung open at the sight of her father standing in front of her desk. She looked to Chiro, whose face held an expression of awe and curiosity.

Nervously fixing her skirt and twisting her wedding rings, Kagome instructed Chiro, "Chiro, take a long lunch break. Close the door behind you, please."

Kagome's orders brought the girl out of her daze. She nodded and bowed quickly to both Higurashis. "Yes, ma'am."

Walking around her desk, Kagome stood in front of her father, scrutinizing him just as he was studying her. It had been a long time since she had been face to face with him. It was at Souta's high school graduation. They sat together in the folded chairs lined up in the high school auditorium. She cheered for her younger brother as he received his diploma while her father sat impassively, cracking only the slightest of smiles for the family pictures that Jii-chan took. When her brother came home for the winter holidays, she had him over for dinner and to pass along presents to their father and grandfather. He told her how their father was much more tired and finally appeared to be showing his age.

Now, she saw it for herself. His stoic face sagged, carved with fine lines and heavy wrinkles around his eyes. His brow seemed to be permanently furrowed and she could see flecks of grey peppered in his brows and receding hair. Sadao Higurashi had never looked more human. It was unnerving for Kagome. Kagome saw his dark eyes look over her with a peculiar expression. She saw sadness in the lines of his mouth.

Sadao stood woodenly and Kagome didn't know what to do. Her father wasn't the affectionate type. And after her mother died, he was left with two children who thrived on the affection that was always showered on them by his wife. With no idea how to give them that, he retreated even further physically and emotionally.

Slightly pursing her lips, Kagome stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. "Hi, Dad. It's been a long time. I'm sorry about that."

Kagome registered that it was a very long time before either one of them moved. She was about to loosen her hold when she felt her father's arms come around her back and squeeze. She smiled into her father's chest and tightened her hold before stepping back to smile up at him.

"Why don't we go have lunch?"

Nodding, Sadao answered, "I… I think I'd like that."

Kagome found that a comfortable silence developed between them as they walked through the streets, Kagome leading him to a small café that she frequented when she allowed herself a longer, more relaxed lunch break. They sat at a table, waiting for their orders to arrive. Kagome savored the jolt of caffeine from her freshly brewed coffee while Sadao poured himself another cup of tea.

"How have you been, Dad? Did Souta pass along the gifts from Kouga and me?"

"Yes. Thank you, by the way. I forgot your presents… I'll have someone send them over to your house."

"Why don't you come over for dinner?" Kagome suggested, a smile on her face. "Kami knows that Kouga and I need some time to relax. You can bring them along sometime this week and I'll cook dinner. Our favorite: udon. Not as good as when Mom made it, but I use her recipe."

Sadao gave her a smile small and hugged his fingers around the teacup. Kagome took notice of how they shook and frowned slightly.

"I'm an old man, Kagome," he reminded her softly.

"I.. it's just… I'm not used to seeing you that way," she said sheepishly, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

"The past year has been more stressful than usual. I'm sure you know that, what with the stack of papers all over your desk. It's a familiar sight for me, also." He sighed. "I came to see you because I wanted to talk to you about some legal things. In my will—"

A loud clatter rang in their ears when Kagome flinched and dropped the spoon she had been stirring her coffee with. "Your will?! Dad, what are you talking about? Sure, you're getting older but you're not _dying_."

"Kagome, calm down. I just want you to be aware of what I've arranged. I'm fairly certain that I won't change anything anymore. I'd like to have everything finalized and make sure you and Souta don't have to worry about anything." He took a sip of his tea and continued, "I've relegated equal shares of my estate to you and Souta. Souta will receive his share upon completion of his degree and of course, you would be entitled to your share immediately. I've also set aside several funds for any children you two have. It'll accumulate interest until you feel that they're ready to receive them. This would all occur after my death, of course." He paused, saw Kagome's expression and lightly scolded his daughter, "For Kami's sake, stop looking at me as if I might drop dead here. It's just better to be prepared."

Shamefacedly, Kagome muttered an apology and ducked her head. She raised it when she felt her father pat his hand over hers.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want you to worry even more. I'm aware of the strain within the legal community in the past few months what with the uptick of crime activity. It's highly unnecessary for me to add to your stress. I'm fine. I just want you and Souta to have everything you need." Sadao's mouth slightly rose at the corners. "Besides, look at your Jii-chan. Nearly a century old but he still has the strength to climb up and down those stairs at the shrine and preach about the magic of the shrines and of those key chains he's always trying to sell."

The two couldn't suppress a grin at the image of the old man, still wearing traditional shrine clothes and waving his broom around, regaling another weary-eyed tourist with the supposed magical properties of the items in the gift shop. The conversation came to a lull as their food arrived at the table and they eagerly ate their lunch.

"So how are you handling the increased workload?" he asked.

"It's definitely more than I've ever had to deal with, especially at one time. Kouga and I are more than a little burned out. It's not uncommon for either one of us to find ourselves waking up on top of paperwork at work. It's," she paused contemplating her choice of words, "rough."

Sadao's thick eyebrows furrowed together. "If you need any help, just ask. I'm sure I could spare a legal aid or two to help with the minor paperwork. Your bosses wouldn't mind extra help from another firm, right? As for Kouga, I'm afraid I don't know too many people in the police force."

"No, Dad, it's fine. The two of us just need to adjust. We… we'll work through it."

"I'm glad to hear it." Sadao took his daughter's hand again. He sighed heavily, lowering his voice. "Kagome, I'm scared. I'm aware that your firm has taken some cases that deal with very dangerous people and I don't want you caught in the crossfire."

Squeezing his hand, Kagome assured him, "Don't worry. Kouga said the same thing. I'm staying away from those cases. I'm taking everyone else's castoffs, which is why I'm so swamped. You have nothing to worry about. I'm just stuck dealing with corporate lawsuits and mergers and policy changes. Very menial topics." She raised an eyebrow at him. "What about you?"

He dismissed her concern quickly. "You know I'm rarely in the courtroom anymore. And Kouga? I'm sure he isn't able to deflect assignments like that."

Kagome made a face at his dismissal, but let it go. "He isn't… but he and Inuyasha are working so hard and they've accomplished a lot in the short while that—"

"Inuyasha?"

Kagome's breath got caught in her throat.

"As in Inuyasha Takado? Izayoi's son?"

"Yes."

"He and Kouga are partners now?" The shock was evident in Sadao's voice. "Last I heard, he had moved to America. I wasn't aware that he came back to Tokyo. I haven't heard much from Izayoi since she retired."

"Inuyasha came back a few months ago, at the start of winter. I've seen him a handful of times and I had lunch with Izayoi once."

"That's nice," he said absentmindedly. "But Inuyasha…"

"It's all in the past now, I guess. We've both moved on."

Sadao narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "Kagome, I might not have been the most attentive father, but it doesn't take anyone more than two eyes to see how devoted the two of you were to each other. He was there for you through a lot… he was the one that helped you survive your mother's cancer and death. Something like that, a _bond_ like that doesn't just disappear in a couple of years."

Kagome didn't know how to respond and stared at him, numb.

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I have a lot to thank him for."

"Huh?"

"Like I said, I'm not sure what would have happened if he wasn't there to help you through everything. I certainly wasn't much help."

"Dad…"

"I just wanted to use today to apologize for everything. Ever since your brother died… I know that I took it out on you when I had no right to. It was an accident and… I just needed something to be angry at. It never should have been you. You're my only daughter, you're my little girl and I… was a stupid, grieving—"

"Father. You were a hurting father who lost a son." Kagome had tears in her eyes. "Dad, I know how much Sadao meant to you. He was your firstborn and it's my fault that he's gone."

"Stop. It was an accident. You were a little girl. How could anyone have known?"

"But it was my fault that Sadao got hit by that car! If I didn't wander out into the middle of the road… if he didn't push me out of the way—"

"Then I probably would have made him feel the way I've made you feel all these years. Kagome, I never meant to make you feel as though I hate you or blame you for your brother's death. If it were the other way around, I probably would have acted that way towards him. It's an ugly truth, but I was just so angry at life."

"He was your firstborn, your first son," she insisted, looking down at her lap.

"And you're my only daughter. And Souta is my youngest and now my only son. I love and treasure all of you. I just didn't know how to show that anymore. That's why I'm so grateful to Inuyasha. He loved you so much, Kagome. Although I behaved as if I disapproved, I was just being an overprotective father. And he became another big brother for Souta. He's a good man. Kouga's lucky to have him as a partner."

Kagome felt the saltwater fall down her cheeks in small trails.

"I didn't come from much. You know that. That's why I placed so much importance on work and to train Sadao to become my heir. I wanted my children and my grandchildren and everyone in my family to never experience what I did. And Sadao was brilliant. Everything was perfect. I didn't realize how quickly life can change and turn in a completely different direction than I planned. I thought I failed as a father. And then I lost your mother and I thought everything was being taken away. It hasn't been easy, not that I'm trying to make excuses. I just—"

"Dad. I love you. Souta loves you. You're a good father. You may not show much affection but that doesn't mean that we don't know it's there. Souta and I know how much hard work you put in for us and we all know how badly you were hurting when Mama was in the hospital and when she died. You're human. You can't keep everything bottled up. We may be your children, but we're adults now. We can handle it."

Sadao cupped his daughter's cheek in his hand. "You have the very best of us, you know. I didn't want you following in my footsteps, working for me because I knew you could do better on your own. It wasn't because I didn't value you or didn't want you near me. I miss you, Kagome. But I'm so proud of you. You're just as sweet and beautiful as your mother, and so smart and hardworking, and _determined_. You're the best of us without our flaws and dependence on social class. I know how you hated that aspect of our lives when you were growing up."

"It's ok, Dad. I'd do it all over again just to keep our family the way it was." She smiled warmly. "How about you have dinner with Kouga and me this Saturday? I'm sure it'd be a nice surprise for him. I'll call Souta and see if he can come home from school tonight and spend the weekend."

"I'd like that."

The two returned to their meal, their conversation and hearts much lighter than it had been in years.

* * *

Inuyasha made a face, wrinkling his nose as he made his way around the backyard, smelling the fresh fertilizer his mother had just laid down in her garden in preparation of spring and the new plants sprouting up. He managed to find her small frame, crouched over a plant bed, covered in baggy clothes and floppy sunhat. She had a small shovel in her hand and was digging up weeds and dead plants while turning up the soil.

"Hey, Mom."

Izayoi turned around and held a hand above her eyes, squinting in the sunlight. A grin broke out on her face when she saw Inuyasha and she stood up and brushed off her pants, removing her gardening gloves before hugging him.

"Inuyasha! What a surprise! Come on in, I'll make you some lunch." Izayoi's arms were already wrapped around Inuyasha's waist, being too short to reach him around his shoulders like she would when Inuyasha was younger.

Resisting her pull, Inuyasha insisted, "Really, I'm not hungry." He felt her tug at him more and he relented.

"Well that's the worst lie I've ever heard. You're always hungry, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha slid open the glass door that served as a barrier between Izayoi's garden and the solarium, also covered in green hanging plants and bright flowers that added color to the neutral tones of the white and beige furniture. "Take a seat, Mom. I'll bring you some tea."

Izayoi removed her hat and set it on the coffee table in front of her, brushing loose strands of dark hair away from her face. "Are you sure you don't want any lunch? I hate to think that all you've been eating are those horrible instant noodles."

"Hey, those are my favorite!" He scowled when his mother made a face at him. "Really, Mom. I'm not hungry. I just wanted to see you." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to hide the slight blush on his face.

The sentiment softened Izayoi's expression. "Okay. I already have a kettle on." She settled into the sofa and Inuyasha hurried into the kitchen. She knew it was probably to escape her and her motherly coddling than to get the tea. "What a stubborn boy," she murmured, laughing to herself quietly.

"I heard that!" Inuyasha's voice echoed loudly.

Izayoi only smiled delicately at him in return when he reentered the solarium carrying a tray with the kettle and two cups. He placed it on the coffee table and poured into both cups before taking a seat next to her. As Izayoi sipped from her cup, she noticed that Inuyasha merely held his in his hands and stared into the surface of the liquid. She frowned at the dark shadows underneath his amber eyes and the lines that had somehow made their way onto her son's face. Worry lines, she noted.

"I hope you're managing to get enough sleep."

"Keh! I don't need sleep like other people do."

"That doesn't mean that you don't need it at all. I don't think you've been to your apartment in ages. Your maid called and told me she that she was worried since she hasn't seen you in ages."

Inuyasha gave a gruff grunt. "I just get home late. It's not like there's much to do there besides sleep, shower, and eat. I'd rather be at the station or around town, working."

"How's that going?" At Inuyasha's silence, Izayoi pressed, "I know you can't give me details about anything. I'm just curious as to whether everything's going well or whether you and Kouga have hit a brick wall."

Inuyasha put down the cup and leaned back against the couch, his head tilted up towards the glass ceiling. "Some days are better than others," he replied vaguely. His long fingers twisted restlessly. "Sometimes, it feels like too much. The other night, one of the men from our precinct was sent to the hospital in critical condition from a warehouse raid gone bad."

Inuyasha's eyes hardened and he grit his teeth. "There must have been a snitch who warned the thugs. There's no other way that they would have been ready for us like that."

"How is he?"

His jaw clenching, Inuyasha said, "Still in critical condition. Hasn't woken up. A bullet nicked a major artery and he suffered a lot of blood loss… went into shock before we could get him to the hospital." He closed his eyes wearily. "I had to go and pick up his fiancée to bring her to the hospital. She was in hysterics. She still hasn't left his side."

"Poor thing," Izayoi said, a deep, sympathetic frown marring her features. "It's a terrifying position to be in. How is Kagome handling having Kouga go out?"

"I wouldn't know," Inuyasha said curtly.

"You don't know?"

"I haven't seen her in a while. The both of us have been busy. But by the way Kouga talks, it sounds like she's worried."

"It's more than reasonable for her to be worried. Kouga and you are basically putting yourselves out there as targets. I can't imagine being in her situation if either one of you were hurt. The two of you are so important to Kagome."

Striving to move the conversation onto another topic, Inuyasha glanced around the room. His gaze landed on a hanging planter that held large, goblet-shaped flowers with petals in various shades of white, pink, and purple. "Those are pretty."

Izayoi was momentarily confused by his sudden change in conversation before following his gaze. She raised her eyebrows at him before smiling softly. "They're magnolias. They were a gift."

"A gift?" Inuyasha repeated, stunned. The thought of his mother dating was…

"A gift from Kagome."

Inuyasha shifted in his seat, embarrassed. So his mother wasn't dating.

Unaware of her son's train of thought, Izayoi continued, "She said that she knew how much I loved my garden and sent me a young plant for Christmas. Gorgeous flowers, aren't they? They bloom right at the start of spring so they've just begun to flourish."

"Yeah… beautiful."

"I wonder how Kagome knew about my garden." She threw Inuyasha a pointed look.

He averted his eyes. "I might have mentioned it in passing."

"I see. It's a shame that all of you are so busy. I'd like to see her more. We haven't met since we had lunch right after you came back."

Inuyasha's silence concerned her. "What's wrong? Have you and Kagome had a fight? Or does Kouga feel uncomfortable given your history?"

"No… no. Kouga's… he's fine. He's annoyingly happy about everything. Kagome and I just haven't seen each other. I guess we lost track of time. We have our own lives."

Izayoi narrowed her violet eyes at her son astutely. "Are you sure that's it?" She gently placed her cup onto the tray and turned to face Inuyasha. "I know that the past few years have been rough on you. You and Kagome separated and you moved to a new country where you spent your time studying and training hard to be where you are today. Then you come back and I'd imagine it hurts to know that life went on without you. Kagome married someone else."

"Mom, I don't want to talk about it."

"Inuyasha, you have to," Izayoi said sternly. She rarely used this tone of voice, save for when Inuyasha was younger and particularly rude. It had been years since she'd had to be so severe.

"What do you want me to say? That I still love her? That I wish she wasn't married to Kouga? That more than anything, I had hoped that in the time I was gone she would have forgiven me, would have waited for me? That I was stupid enough to think that what the two of us had might have been strong enough to withstand what we went through?! Because I was a _damn idiot_! I _do_ wish all of that! She didn't wait. But there's nothing I can do about it!"

Inuyasha roughly pushed himself off of the couch and paced through the solarium, eventually slowing, his back to his mother. "What's done is done." He turned toward the bouquet of magnolias forlornly. "I love Kagome. I missed her so much. I _still _miss her. I thought that maybe the two of us could be friends, but we couldn't separate the past from the present. And… she's happy with Kouga. He treats her well. They have a good, comfortable life. I'm willing to be a little miserable if she ends up happy."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe it's better that everything ended up this way."

Inuyasha whirled around to stare at his mother who looked back at him impassively.

"If it's so easy for you to give up on trying to maintain a relationship with Kagome, then maybe it's a good thing that you stopped. It obviously doesn't mean that much to you."

"That's not what I meant—"

"Then why would you immediately give up on a girl like Kagome?"

"She's married, Mom! Would you like me to end her marriage? I have no right to do that!"

Izayoi's eyes widened and she reeled back as if she were struck. Inuyasha immediately looked away, a guilty look on his face. He fidgeted under her gaze and Izayoi coolly composed herself.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," he whispered.

"Inuyasha, sit down," Izayoi said softly, but with an edge that left no room for disobedience. She took a deep breath before continuing, her posture wavering. "I didn't mean to insinuate that you should break up her marriage. I just meant that you and Kagome obviously have a special relationship. Even if you can't have the one you have, that's no reason to let her go completely. I can't see why you should have to quarantine yourself from her. There's no shame in being friends, Inuyasha. I know you said it's hard to separate the past from the present, but when has anything worth having been easy? I didn't raise a son that gave up so quickly. I raised someone who fights for what he wants, who doesn't walk away from a fight empty handed."

Inuyasha still couldn't bring himself to listen to his mother so she took his chin in her fingers and forced him to look at her. "Life doesn't always follow the plan you make, Inuyasha. Actually, it _never_ follows your plans. So as much as you might try to find a way around it, sometimes it's better to just surrender your old plan and work on a new one. If you can't have Kagome the way you want, find another way to keep her."

"I don't think I can be satisfied with just her friendship," he admitted.

"You'd rather not have her at all?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes. "It would be less painful than to be around her and Kouga and seeing them so happy. I'm glad she's happy. I just wish—"

"That it were you instead," Izayoi finished knowingly. "I know the feeling, Inuyasha. But like I said, when has anything worth having been easy? It's still fresh. Give it some time and eventually, the two of you will find your way towards a comfortable relationship." She laced her fingers in her lap.

"Your father and I managed to do that, didn't we?"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open. His mother never talked about his father and he never bothered to ask. He knew how much the topic caused her pain.

"Inuyasha, I can talk about your father. It still hurts, but if you wanted to know more about him, I'd gladly tell you about him. I know you never got any time with him and he died when you were a teenager…" She smiled sadly at him. "But you see, he's the reason I feel I can empathize with you."

"Mom, look, I don't need you to tell me anything."

"I know. But I want to. And I want you to know. It's too late for me to change anything. I _couldn't_ change anything. You still can. I want to show you what the difference is." Izayoi reached for the side table next to the couch, pulling open a cabinet and taking out a photo album. She placed in her lap and leafed through the pages gently. She stopped and pulled out a photo.

"This was taken right after your father and I met. I was working as a paralegal to a partner of the law firm his company employed. I was still making my way through law school to become a fully recognized lawyer." Izayoi lightly ran a finger over the photograph. "Toga, your father, was a very charming, enigmatic man. It was easy for a young woman like myself to be infatuated with him. But he also had marvelous insight, was intelligent, kind, and compassionate. That's why I fell in love with him. Who knows why he fell in love with me…"

"Mom…"

"I knew he was married of course, so I kept my feelings to myself. But everything changed very suddenly. We were at a dinner, a charity event, which his corporation was throwing. Maybe it was the wine or the champagne but he had asked me to dance and I agreed. And that first dance is one of my best memories. We both tried to ignore our feelings and pretend that nothing had changed, but obviously it had. Soon after, he told me he was going to leave his wife and that he wanted to be with me. He told me he loved me. And the look in his eyes… I knew it… every cell in my body knew that he was telling the truth."

Handing the photo to Inuyasha, she continued, "It wasn't long before we were engaged. And then we found out I was pregnant with you. But we were unable to go through with the wedding because of his first wife. She refused to sign the divorce papers, to discuss any type of settlement. She blamed it on the fact that they had a child together and she didn't want a broken family. In any case, she managed to drag it out into the long process you remember going through when you were growing up. I know you didn't get to see Toga much, but it was because he was always so busy trying to find a way to fix everything. He desperately wanted us to be a proper family. He loved you so much, Inuyasha. In the end, I decided that maybe it wasn't worth it and we were better off without getting married. That didn't mean I wanted to end the relationship; I was just tired of fighting so hard for something I thought would never happen. But it hurt your father. He thought that I'd given up on us. He was so angry with me. It was in the middle of that mess that your father got in that car accident. Then, his wife got everything, denied us whatever Toga left us, and used her clout as his widow to ruin me. He died and I lost everything: the love of my life, the father of my child, my job, my reputation. That car crash killed every dream I'd ever had for myself."

Izayoi wiped the stream of tears on her face. "I can't let you give up, Inuyasha. I don't want you suffering like I did."

"But you got over it."

"I've made peace with how my life ended up," she clarified. "It still hurts, though. To know that it ended that way because I gave up. I don't want this kind of regret for you."

"You said I have a sibling…"

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I don't know much. Your father never told me anything. He said that his first wife didn't want me to know anything about the child and as she was the mother, he respected her wishes. They also made sure to keep him out of the public eye. I don't know much except for the fact that he or she would be a few years older than you and share your last name, though that doesn't help much. Takado is a common name."

"Was she also a demon?"

"His first wife? Yes, she is. I suppose that my being human was another reason why she hated me so much. Her husband chose a human over her."

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Izayoi smiled and hugged Inuyasha, who returned the gesture, burying his face in her shoulder, like he did when he was little.

"You look just like him. You're just as stubborn, also. Although, I might have added to that." She sighed. "At least I got to keep a piece of him, something she can't take away." Izayoi pulled away and touched his face gently. "I'm really proud of you, Inuyasha. And your father would be, too."

"Thanks, mom."

"Now please, go and talk to Kagome. And tell her how much I love and appreciate the magnolias." She smiled at him and Inuyasha couldn't help but roll his eyes at her.

"Sure, mom."

* * *

Inuyasha crouched down to grab the bottle of wine at the bottom of the rack, lazily perusing the various labels. In his peripheral vision, he saw a pair of scuffed up pass by him. He took a tentative sniff before putting the bottle back in its place to smirk at the young man next to him.

"Hey kid. It's been a while. How've you been?"

"Inuyasha!" Souta let out a joyous laugh and immediately held his hand out.

Inuyasha scoffed at the gesture and pulled the younger boy to him, his arm wrapping around Souta's shoulders before sliding up to hold him in a loose headlock. "Really? You're going to give me a _handshake_? You can do better than that, kid."

Souta squirmed out of Inuyasha's hold and tousled his mussed up hair until it fell back into place. "Quit calling me 'kid', Inuyasha. It's not like I'm thirteen years old sneaking up on you and Kagome sucking face in her bedroom."

"Keh! Like you could. Super hearing and super smell," Inuyasha reminded him, a clawed finger pointing at the triangular appendages on the top of his head.

"You could say that again. When's the last time you showered?" Souta teased, backing away with a wrinkled nose.

"You're such a little shit," Inuyasha said, but the cheeky grin on his face betrayed him. He turned back to the wine rack, examining another bottle. "Some of us adults have adult things to do like work. We can't all be out partying every night. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be at school?"

Shrugging, Souta leaned on the rack Inuyasha was looking through. "I've been coming home every weekend for the past month. I don't know how it happened, but Kagome and Dad have seemed to patch things up. We all have dinner at her house every Saturday now. I was just looking to pick up some ice cream for dessert when I saw you starting your long sordid future as a grumpy alcoholic apparently."

"Brat," Inuyasha muttered. His eyebrows came together in contemplation. "So you guys and your dad are okay now? I can't say I saw that coming. It's good, though."

"You should come to dinner," Souta suggested, a hopeful expression on his face.

Inuyasha fought to not scoff in Souta's face. So he turned away and scoffed. "It sounds like this is more of a family thing. Besides, your father isn't exactly my number one fan."

Souta raised his eyebrows and reminded him, "Very few fathers are fans of the wild, problematic teenage boys that their daughters sneak out to see at all hours of the night."

"Hey! I wasn't wild or problematic. Also, you should've been asleep by then."

"The two of you weren't as sneaky as you thought you were." Souta then narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha and Inuyasha found it eerie how similar he looked to Kagome when he did that. "But you're just deflecting my invitation."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha reminded him, "It's not your house, therefore, you don't have the authority to invite me." He chose a bottle and placed it in the plastic basket before walking away. He could hear the rubber soles of Souta's sneakers squeaking as he chased after him.

"Inuyasha! Come on! I haven't seen you in years!"

Turning back to glance at Souta, Inuyasha shook his head and chuckled dryly, his gaze returning to the rows of raw meat. "So we'll hang out when you don't have plans with your family," he replied matter of factly. "Your brother-in-law and your sister have my number."

Souta made a face at him before a gleam entered his eyes. Inuyasha noticed and looked at him warily. "What kind of idea did you just get?"

Ignoring him, Souta pulled out his phone and dialed, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. Before Inuyasha could process what was happening, Souta backed away and hurried off but his voice still carried enough for Inuyasha's hypersensitive hearing to pick up.

"Hey sis, do you think you have enough food for one more? No it's not for my _girlfriend_," he sneered, mimicking Kagome's singsong tone. "I just bumped into Inuyasha at the grocery store and I took pity on him. Come on, sis. Can I take the puppy home?"

Inuyasha growled under his breath and crept up behind Souta. "Are you serious? You had to use a damn dog joke?"

Souta grinned back at him. "Yeah, there's nothing in his basket right now except for a bottle of wine and some potato chips… Ok then, I'll see you soon." As soon as he hung up, Souta reached into Inuyasha's basket and took out the potato chips, tossing it onto a nearby shelf, ignoring his protests. "Kagome says to just bring the wine and hurry up and get your ass over there. The food is getting cold."

Inuyasha stared dumbfounded at him. "You damn Higurashis sure know how to get what you want. Fine." He narrowed his amber eyes at Souta when he saw the younger man's triumphant smile. "Only because your sister would kill me if I didn't go. And I'd have to hear it from Kouga at work. I can only take so much nagging."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I still have to go pick out the ice cream. I'll see you there."

"How long does it take to pick up a tub of ice cream?"

"Are you kidding me? It's _ice cream_. The possibilities are endless." Souta scoffed and walked away. "This guy," he muttered, "He obviously has no taste…"

Shaking his head, Inuyasha laughed off Souta's reaction and made his way to the cashier to pay for the wine. After settling into his car and putting the bottle in the passenger's seat, Inuyasha caught sight of himself in the rearview mirror. He frowned and ignored his thoughts, starting the car and driving the uncomfortably familiar route to Kagome's house. He hadn't gotten around to speaking to Kagome like his mother had asked him. He planned on calling her up… he just found himself swamped with work. And he pushed it down his list of priorities. Now he was being coerced into seeing her, along with her father.

Inuyasha hadn't seen Sadao Higurashi since graduating from high school. It was more than a little unsettling to think about seeing him again. Like Souta said, Sadao had never really warmed up to him, being the illegitimate, hanyou teenager who was the cause of Kagome's sneaking out. And the fact that he was a male didn't help at all.

"Gah!" Inuyasha rolled down the windows to let the brisk night air bite into his skin and offer him something to take his mind off of what was to come.

Getting into fights as a kid and as a teenager didn't scare him when he was younger. He lived for the fight, the adrenaline. It gave him something to prove. That much hadn't changed. Inuyasha barely broke a sweat when it came to facing a gun, especially when there was a good chance his reflexes would allow him to avoid any shots. But ask him over for dinner with the family of his ex-girlfriend, including her disapproving father? Inuyasha would rather face a firing squad.

Far too soon for his liking, Inuyasha pulled up to the house, parking his car on the gravel of the driveway. He turned off the engine and sat numbly in his car. He knew that Kouga would have heard his car and that he couldn't delay this any longer. Inuyasha grabbed the bottle and exited the car, his shoes crunching on the gravel before he made it to the stone pathway leading to the front door. Before he made it to the steps, the porch light turned on and the door opened, Kagome's smile greeting him, along with the smell of a home cooked meal.

"Well that was creepy," he deadpanned, leaning down to give Kagome a quick hug.

Kagome frowned at him. "You're _the_ rudest person I know."

"Especially when it was me who told her you were here," Kouga interjected, a small, pert grin on his face. He happily took the wine from Inuyasha and clapped him on the back before leading him into the kitchen. "You want a beer while we wait for Sadao and Souta?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

After putting the bottle in an ice bucket, Kouga reached into the refrigerator and pulled out several bottles and reached into his pocket to get to the bottle opener attached to his set of keys. "You and Kagome can head out back. With the nicer weather, we decided it'd be better to have dinner on the deck."

Inuyasha took the offered bottle and hesitated. "You sure you don't need my help with anything?"

"It's fine, dogface. Wouldn't want you messing anything up anyway."

Kouga hissed in a mixture of pain and annoyance when Inuyasha clipped him on the back of the head and he watched him walk towards the sliding door, already taking a swig from the bottle. Kouga rubbed the back of his head and put the unopened bottles in the bucket of ice on the kitchen counter before taking a pull from his own beer. He saw Kagome's shadow moving around in the foyer and walked towards her, leaning against the doorframe, watching her rummage in the closet.

Kagome lifted her head and blushed. "I have Inuyasha's Christmas present somewhere in here. I'm having a hard time finding it since we put all the boxes from our unsorted presents in here as well," she explained.

"Here, let me get it. I can probably sniff it out." He handed Kagome his bottle and poked around the closet.

"Oh you youkai with your super sense of smell. What would I do without you?" Kagome teased with a smile.

"Probably have an avalanche of boxes fall on top of you," Kouga said, his voice muffled from inside the closet. He stuck his head back out. "Don't worry, I'll find it. Why don't you go out back and keep Inuyasha company? Before he wreaks havoc on our backyard."

"What's the worse he could do?"

The question hung between them as they remembered Inuyasha's antics throughout high school and Kagome's complexion slightly paled. "I'll just go check on Inuyasha."

Chuckling, Kouga said, "You go do that. Oh, but first…" He stepped out of the closet and gently cupped his hand on the side of Kagome's neck, pulling her in for a kiss. Kagome squeaked in surprise before returning the kiss, laughing when they pulled apart. "Ok, now you can go."

Kagome shook her head at him and handed him his beer. "I'm sure you can manage to find it one handed, right oh strong and powerful one?"

"Is that a challenge?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him.

"Challenge accepted then."

Kouga took the bottle from her and gave her another kiss before returning his attention to the closet. Kagome walked into the kitchen, taking the ice bucket with her as she made her way onto her deck. She put the bucket in the center of the large table that had already been set with plates and trays of food. Her eyes alighted on Inuyasha, who was standing in the grass, his eyes fixed on the dark night sky. The soft glow from the house and back porch light cast an otherworldly glow over him, distorting his shadow. She startled when he turned around and looked at her and surprised herself by finding herself leaning on the railing of the deck, staring at him like a creepy stalker. She hoped he wouldn't catch her blush in the darkness and stepped away from the railing.

Kagome made her way down the steps to join him on the grass. She stood next to him, her hands clasped behind her back. Kagome felt Inuyasha's eyes on her and looked up at him to see him smirk at her before he looked away and brought the beer to his lips.

Bringing it away from his face, Inuyasha mentioned with a casual air, "My mom wanted me to mention that she loves the magnolias you sent her."

A wide grin appeared on Kagome's face as she gazed into the dense trees surrounding the perimeter of the property. "I'm glad."

"They're beautiful. Reminded me of you."

"Inuyasha…"

"I was thinking… maybe we gave up too quickly on trying to be friends."

Kagome raised her gaze to meet his, nearly falling over from his words. "Maybe…"

"And I don't know about you, but my mother doesn't really buy the 'too busy working' excuse'. According to her, if we really wanted to see each other, we'd make time for each other."

"It _has _been really hectic for the both of us. But she's right. But you and I both know why we haven't seen each other. For the short while it lasted, it was really hard, Inuyasha. It still is." Kagome sighed and hugged her arms. "I miss you, though," she whispered.

Inuyasha felt an ache in his chest. "I miss you too, Kagome." He confessed, "It's been a tough few months. I think it's harder staying away from you now than when I lived in the states."

Kagome didn't say anything but Inuyasha saw the way her eyebrows came together in confusion. "I was halfway around the world from you. The distance gave me a good excuse to stay away. Now, I'm so close… I'm your husband's partner. The temptation to see you is a lot stronger, but so is the guilt."

"So what's your plan?"

"My plan?"

"What do you want now?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Kagome, I… I think the better question is what do _we_ want? I'd be happy with whatever made you happy."

"I don't think so."

Her words sliced through him, but Inuyasha insisted, "Kagome, you're underestimating how much your happiness means to me."

"You don't understand. My happiness is dependent on yours just as yours is on mine." Kagome sighed and turned her face towards the sky. "Could we, could _you_ really be satisfied?"

"I think I'd rather have you in my life than not at all," Inuyasha whispered. "I'm really not strong enough to handle life without you, Kagome. Not when I'm this close."

Kagome turned back to Inuyasha. "Then how did you last these past few years in America?"

Inuyasha's jaw clenched. "I didn't think that… I was a fucking idiot that thought you…"

Inuyasha tensed and Kagome could see his ears twitching. Before she could question him, Inuyasha loudly and obnoxiously began rambling, "If you ask me, I think wolfshit's plan to put a fence around the yard is stupid."

Kagome was silent for a split second too long, her mind trying to catch up. "Really? I don't know, I've always imagined having a white picket fence. I think it'd feel picturesque."

"Keh! There's no reason to try and separate yourself from the woods here."

"We'd put in a gate. Maybe even plan a small trail through the woods for hiking," Kouga said, coming up from behind them. He slung an arm around Kagome protectively. She frowned at him, bemused by his behavior. "Souta's finally here and he brought the entire dessert section of the grocery store with him."

Kagome's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? I told him two or three different flavors, max. We don't have enough room to hoard his ice cream."

Inuyasha laughed, highly amused. "Sounds like Souta to me."

Kagome grumbled, "I'm going to kill him," before stalking back towards the house.

Nodding at the house, Inuyasha asked, "How bad is it?"

Kouga smirked. "Kagome will definitely rip him a new one."

The two laughed raucously. Inuyasha said, "I don't know what goes through that kid's mind sometimes. It's as if he's purposely trying to piss off his sister."

"Isn't that every little brother's goal in life?"

"I'll drink to that." Inuyasha inclined his beer towards Kouga before emptying the bottle. He sighed in a mixture of contentment and nostalgia. "The kid was annoying during high school. Always snooping around and trying to tag along. I love Souta like my own brother, but that's just it. As much as I love him, he annoyed the shit out of me when he was younger," he chuckled. "It's good to see him now, all grown up. Or as grown up as he's going to get when it comes to Kagome."

"Strange to think that he's almost through college now. Makes me feel old. Or as old as a youkai can feel."

Kouga eyed Inuyasha's empty bottle. "You want another?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'm driving home and I'm probably going to have some wine during dinner."

"Like one beer and a couple glasses of wine would impair your senses. Come on, don't be such a pussy."

"Yeah, maybe on a normal day. But I'm sleep deprived as fuck and I know how far I'm willing to push it. You trying to get me arrested or into an accident or something?" Inuyasha joked.

A heartbeat passed before Kouga laughed at him. "Of course not. You kidding? Look, if you're that concerned, you can stay here for the night. I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind. We have a bunch of spare rooms for a reason."

Inuyasha shifted his weight uneasily. "It's fine. I'd like to sleep in my own bed. You know it's been a while. I'm beginning to think my face is going to be permanently etched into the desk from how often I've been sleeping on it."

Kouga nodded in agreement. "But we've managed to do a lot of good with our sacrifices. Maybe it's better that you stay at your place, though."

Before Inuyasha could ask him what he meant by that, the two were distracted by the distant sound of screeching tires and yelling. They stilled before the sound of grunts and a fist hitting skin spurred them to sprint towards the source of the noise.

"You smell that?" Inuyasha yelled as the wind whipped at them.

"Yeah. Blood. And it smells like Sadao Higurashi's."

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

**Fragile-Love**: Ah, your kind words are too much! Squeeee. And I managed to put all of _that_ into three chapters? *blushes* Here I was, just trying to make sure I stuck in the same fandom LOL. I hope that your life is/has turning/ed out much better than what I have planned for everyone involved. Have I revealed too much? Oops. Time to wait for the next update haha.

**thatsvintage**: You're too kind. That's a lot of pressure to put on me… telling me you don't like AUs but that you're willing to read mine?! So nice! Don't worry, I always finish what I start; it just takes forever.

**InuandKaglove4Life**: Thanks so much. I'm also wondering what they're going to do now… I should do that soon, huh? The logistics of writing do include the author knowing what's happening next…

Yay an update! Haha university is starting up again soon so I figured I'd better get this out before the year officially starts. Happy reading, reviewing, and wondering.


	5. Too Close

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything else not a figment of my imagination.**

Chapter 5: Too Close

* * *

**Summary: **Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school and university, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless cup of coffee when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

* * *

_Last Time…_

_Kouga eyed Inuyasha's empty bottle. "You want another?"_

_Inuyasha shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'm driving home and I'm probably going to have some wine during dinner."_

_"Like one beer and a couple glasses of wine would impair your senses. Come on, don't be such a pussy."_

_"Yeah, maybe on a normal day. But I'm sleep deprived as fuck and I know how far I'm willing to push it. You trying to get me arrested or into an accident or something?" Inuyasha joked._

_A heartbeat passed before Kouga laughed at him. "Of course not. You kidding? Look, if you're that concerned, you can stay here for the night. I'm sure Kagome wouldn't mind. We have a bunch of spare rooms for a reason."_

_Inuyasha shifted his weight uneasily. "It's fine. I'd like to sleep in my own bed. You know it's been a while. I'm beginning to think my face is going to be permanently etched into the desk from how often I've been sleeping on it."_

_Kouga nodded in agreement. "But we've managed to do a lot of good with our sacrifices. Maybe it's better that you stay at your place, though."_

_Before Inuyasha could ask him what he meant by that, the two were distracted by the distant sound of screeching tires and yelling. They stilled before the sound of grunts and a fist hitting skin spurred them to sprint towards the source of the noise._

_"You smell that?" Inuyasha yelled as the wind whipped at them._

_"Yeah. Blood. And it smells like Sadao Higurashi's."_

* * *

Kagome and Souta were walking back out onto the deck when they saw Kouga and Inuyasha sprinting across the backyard towards the front of the yard.

Kagome frowned. "Kouga? Inuyasha? What the hell are you two—"

Inuyasha yelled back, "Call for an ambulance _now!_"

"An ambulance?"

"Just do it, Kagome!"

Kagome dropped the plates she was holding and ran back into the house, Souta quickly following after her. The sound of shattering ceramic and glass fell on deaf ears and was left unattended, easily forgotten.

Inuyasha and Kouga pounded their feet against the asphalt of the road in front of Kouga and Kagome's home. The smell of blood intensified as they ran and both men frowned.

"Because we're getting closer or because the amount of blood is increasing?" Kouga asked.

"Keh! Just shut up and run!"

Inuyasha grunted and found within him a burst of energy to propel him even faster. Kouga matched his pace and began to overtake him. Kouga was always faster than Inuyasha— a track star during high school.

"Don't wait for me, you stupid wolf! Go and stop those fuckers!" Inuyasha roared.

With a nod, Kouga sped up more and disappeared around the corner, following the scent of the blood. Inuyasha was overwhelmed by it. His sense of smell was stronger than Kouga's. The metallic, pungent scent stuck in his nostrils and Inuyasha had to resort to breathing through his mouth. As he turned the corner, the smell of smoke also assaulted his nose. Inuyasha nearly froze, dumbstruck by the sight in front of him.

He shook it off and immediately set to work on putting himself in between Sadao Higurashi and the man beating him. As he did so, a quick peripheral glance showed him that Kouga was dealing with another man. Inuyasha took a hard blow to the abdomen, grunting as he doubled over. He grit his teeth and retaliated, his fist heading for his assailant's cheek. Just as he swung, the wind shifted and the scent of the man came to him.

_'He's a youkai. This is more than just a random mugging.'_

Registering that he was a youkai, Inuyasha put more force into his punch, grunting in satisfaction when he went down. However, he came up quickly, angrily wiping away the trickle of blood that appeared at the corner of his mouth. Inuyasha's hands immediately went to his side to reach for his gun but met empty air when he realized he left his weapon in his car.

"Fuck."

Inuyasha ducked and dodged a blow before circling around him and charging at him, his arm held up before him before he arced it down, flexing his claws to slash at him. His opponent yowled in pain and even in the darkness, with his eyesight, Inuyasha saw three angry marks on his back, quickly becoming a deeper red as bled seeped through the fabric of his jacket.

The cop within Inuyasha came alive suddenly, registering details quickly while Inuyasha's base instincts kept him moving and charging at the perp.

_'Distressed green jacket.'_

_'Humanoid— ears that mark a full blooded youkai.'_

_'Claws.'_

_'Hood up. Can't see hair color. Need to get a look at that.'_

Inuyasha hissed when a strike slashed through him and he recognized the slippery, sticky sensation of blood trickling.

_'Definitely has claws.'_

"Enough of this bullshit!" he growled through gritted teeth.

Inuyasha lunged forward, his arm reaching back before bursting forward to punch the demon in the face. His head snapped backwards and Inuyasha followed with a second strike, his left fist connecting with his stomach, causing the demon to become winded and wheeze, doubling over as he knelt on the ground. Inuyasha came from behind and roughly pulled the hood back, his blood freezing when he saw his face.

The youkai had fangs. His hair was also shock white, but unlike Inuyasha's, cropped close to his scalp. Inuyasha took a look at his eyes and his stomach dropped. His eyes were gold, much like Inuyasha had expected. Inuyasha's lips curled into a snarl before he delivered another blow, effectively knocking him out. Leaving him on the pavement, Inuyasha ran to where Sadao's prone figure lay. Sadao was face down and Inuyasha turned him over as gently as he could. Sadao moaned in pain, but he didn't open his eyes.

"Goddamn it."

Sadao's face was bloodied and his hair was matted with his own blood. Inuyasha took note of other cuts and bruises on Sadao's hands— superficial compared to the beating his head took. Gingerly lifting him up, Inuyasha slowly shifted his weight so he could carry Sadao more easily.

"Inuyasha! Get out of there! It's going to blow!" Kouga's voice rang through the night.

Smoke entered his nostrils and Inuyasha finally noticed that Sadao's car was completely wrecked. It was plowed into a street pole by the minivan the two assailants were driving. He saw the gas leaking from the two vehicles and the live wire that had come down when Sadao's car went into the pole. The sparks were dancing dangerously close to the pool of gas.

Inuyasha looked up and saw Kouga slinging the two thugs over each of his shoulders and running from the scene. Inuyasha cursed under his breath and hugged Sadao closer to him to avoid further jostling him as he ran away from the cars. He and Kouga managed to run about a block before they heard the roar of a flame igniting and the hissing of sparks. They pushed themselves even further before the upcoming blast propelled them forward.

Kouga and the two suspects flew and Kouga managed to turn mid air and land on his feet. The other two bodies landed with twin thuds, still unconscious. Inuyasha had more difficulty maneuvering what with cradling Sadao from the blast. He instead made it so that when they landed, they landed on Inuyasha's back to prevent any further injury to the older man. Inuyasha groaned when he hit the rough concrete, feeling his head scrape against the ground. He fought the momentum that would cause him to roll over onto Sadao and skidded against the asphalt.

Kouga ran over to him and knelt down.

"Inuyasha! You okay? How's Sadao?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes but winced in pain when he tried to lift himself up into a sitting position, the motion setting the nerves in his head on fire. He grunted and lay back down. "Grab Sadao and lay him flat on the ground."

Kouga took his father in law and gently laid him on the pavement, his fingers checking for a pulse. "He's still alive, but his pulse is weak. He's lost so much blood."

"Those fuckers really gave him a beating," Inuyasha grumbled.

He forced himself into an upright position, his hand moving to his side, registering the pain it took to breathe. "_Fuck_. I think I broke a rib."

Kouga moved to help him up but Inuyasha waved him off.

"I'm fine. I'm not a pansy like you. A broken rib never killed anyone."

"Yeah I'll make sure to remember not to be a pansy— moaning and wincing in pain over a broken rib." Kouga's eyes fell on the two bodies that lay feet away. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

As he dialed, they both began to hear the sound of sirens coming towards them. Inuyasha squinted at the bright lights. He could make out an ambulance and a patrol car coming towards them. Behind them, a fire truck coming to extinguish the flames caused by the two cars. He got up to his feet and moved towards the patrol car, his movements rough. Two uniformed officers got out of the car and Inuyasha pulled his badge from his belt, flashing it at them.

"Officers Takado and Kayasaki here. We responded to the sound of a struggle and found these two beating an older man." He jerked a thumb to the two unconscious men lying haphazardly on the pavement. "We subdued the perps but the car crash caused an explosion." He gestured once more to the two bodies left lying on the ground. "They're fine. Knocked out before the explosion. Cuff them before putting them in an ambulance. As soon as they're cleared by the doctors at the hospital, get them to the station for booking and interrogation. This is mine and Kayasaki's case— _we_ take the lead. Understand?"

The younger officers nodded back quickly, pulling out handcuffs as they walked away.

Inuyasha looked back and saw paramedics heading for them first. "Hey! Leave them! That guy over there gets immediate treatment!" He strode towards them, gesturing at Sadao and they nodded and ran to him, quickly lifting him onto a gurney.

More sirens added to the chaos surrounding them as more cops came onto the scene. Inuyasha ignored them before walking over to where Kouga hovered over Sadao as paramedics rolled him towards the ambulance. He could hear his conversation over the phone.

"We're heading to the hospital."

_"The hospital? Are you and Inuyasha hurt?"_

"We're fine, for the most part." Kouga looked over Inuyasha and he amended, "Well at least I am. Inuyasha's pretty banged up." He ignored Inuyasha's glare.

_"Wait, is he alright?"_ Kagome's voice was frantic over the line. _"Souta and I are already on our way. We heard the explosion from here and then and all of the sirens. Why was there an explosion?"_

"Kagome, it's a long story. We need you here, though. There's something you should know… Your father, he was in a car crash and… he's pretty badly hurt."

Inuyasha and Kouga exchanged a look at Kouga's omission of the beating Sadao took.

_"Dad?!"_

"Kagome, he—"

"_Kouga, we're here. They won't let us through!_"

Inuyasha looked up and at the barricade the other officers had set to keep the crowd away from the scene and the fire. Kagome and Souta were clutching each other and trying to push past the barricade but were held back by an officer. Kouga ran to the barricade and ordered the officer let Kagome and Souta through. Kagome caught sight of Sadao on a gurney and began sobbing, running towards him. Kouga held her back and hugged her tightly, Kagome's hands forming tight fists, clamping onto Kouga as she cried into his chest. Souta stood open mouthed at the sight and Inuyasha made his way to him, tucking his head into his own chest.

"Hey you don't need to see that, okay? Your dad's still alive, he's still here. We just need to get him to the hospital, okay?"

He looked up from the top of Souta's head as the younger boy clutched onto him. Inuyasha looked eyes with Kagome over Kouga's shoulder.

"Kouga, let's get them into the bus to ride with Sadao."

Kouga nodded, leading Kagome to the ambulance but she hesitated.

"Wait. Kouga. You said he needs to go to the hospital, too."

Inuyasha shook his head. "I'll survive. Just a few bruises. Hurry up, you need to get in." He pushed Souta towards the direction of the ambulance where paramedics were waiting for them. "Someone needs to stay here and be in charge. I was here when everything happened. This is our case. I'll be the ones to follow the two suspects to the hospital and then to the station."

"Can't you let someone else guard them? You need help, too!"

"Someone has to stay here, Kagome," Inuyasha reminded her gently.

"I'll do it."

Kagome looked up at Kouga in shock. "Kouga…"

"I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital. Inuyasha's right. Someone has to stay here. It's my job." He kissed Kagome on the top of her head. "I'll be there as soon as I can. I just have to deal with this shit first."

"Like hell you are, wolf cub. It's your family. You go take care of it. I'll stay here."

"Dog face, you have a fucking broken rib. Just go the hospital and get it taken care of. As soon as the situation here settles down, I'll go." He rolled his eyes. "I'll even bring you flowers."

"Fuck off."

"Get going, mutt. You're holding everyone up."

Before Inuyasha could retort, Kagome's quiet voice stopped him. "Please, Inuyasha, just come with us. Especially if you're hurt."

She used the same quiet tone as when she had asked him to spend the night following her mother's death. He couldn't refuse.

"Keh!"

Inuyasha trudged towards the ambulance, taking Souta with him to sit in the front cab.

One of the paramedics prevented Inuyasha from getting into the cab after Souta, reaching a hand out to touch Inuyasha. Inuyasha quickly grabbed his hand and growled, "What do you think you're doing?"

"You've obviously sustained injuries to the head. I'm checking to see if you might have a concussion or other signs of internal injury."

"Well isn't that why I'm going to the hospital? To get everything checked out?"

"It'd be better if you sit in the back so you can be examined more easily."

Inuyasha released his hand and made his way around the ambulance, hopping into the back and sitting on the bench, folding his arms across his chest. When the paramedic moved towards him, Inuyasha snarled, "Why are you worrying about me? Fix _him_!" gesturing towards Sadao.

"We've stabilized him and we're getting ready to move. I should really check on you."

"_He's_ your first priority. Try and touch me and I'll arrest you for assaulting a cop."

Watching the entire exchange, Kagome sighed. "Well I knew that this wasn't going to be easy."

Kouga cupped Kagome's cheek gently. "Go be with your dad. I'll be there soon," he promised. He kissed her quickly. "And make sure Inuyasha doesn't blow up at the paramedics."

Kagome smiled softly at him and kissed him once more before turning to hurry into the ambulance. He held her arm and she looked back at him quizzically.

"I love you, Kagome."

Kouga's arctic eyes were staring into her own and Kagome could see everything in them. Love… but also sadness and fear.

"I love you, too, Kouga." She furrowed her brow. "Is something wrong?"

A pointed silence passed between them before Kouga let go of her arm. "It's nothing. Take care of your family."

Inuyasha lifted his head when Kagome came into the back of the ambulance, the paramedic shutting the doors behind her. The vehicle lurched as it began racing to the hospital, the paramedic driving speaking into a radio.

"Two patients. One in critical condition. The other, a Detective Takado who pulled him from the scene of the accident. Critical patient victim of a vehicular accident followed by assault. Both subjected to an explosion."

Kagome bypassed the space on the bench for her to sit on, preferring to kneel by the gurney, clasping one of her father's hands.

As the paramedic was about to instruct her to take a seat, Inuyasha moaned dramatically, beckoning the paramedic urgently. He clutched at the back of his head.

"I have the worst fucking headache. I think it's because I hit my head after the blast."

The paramedic focused his attention on Inuyasha, pulling out a flashlight and pulling at Inuyasha's lids, checking his pupils.

"Well your pupils are responding well. You may have a concussion but there's not much I can do until we get to the hospital."

"Then can you take a look at my ribs? I think one of them may be broken."

As the paramedic hunched over to probe at Inuyasha's ribcage, prompting the hanyou to wince and hiss in response, Inuyasha made eye contact with a teary eyed Kagome who smiled at him and mouthed her thanks.

Inuyasha nodded in return before hissing once more and glaring down at the paramedic.

Sadao began stirring and his eyes blearily opened before he screwed them shut.

"Dad," Kagome began softly, "Are you okay?" Her voice was thick and she sniffled as she squeezed his hand.

"I'm alive…. Thanks to Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound of his name. He tried not to listen in to the conversation, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"Yeah, Dad, I know. He stopped whoever tried to mug you."

Sadao's eyes widened and he tried to shake his head and take off the oxygen mask.

"Wasn't…"

Kagome tried to still his hands and keep the mask on. "Shh, Dad, it's ok."

"Wasn't… _wasn't_…" The beeping of his monitor increased as his heart rate began to climb.

"Dad, it's ok. Please calm down."

He grabbed Kagome's hands and stared at her with wide eyes. "_Wasn't_… mugging."

"Ma'am, please, sit on the bench."

The paramedic gently pushed Kagome towards the bench, seating her down next to Inuyasha, before administering something into Sadao's IV.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked, her voice slightly hysterical.

"It's just something to get your father to calm down until we get to the hospital. I don't want his heart rate rising and him going into shock." He glanced at Inuyasha. "Detective Takado, you should also take it easy. Your rib is broken and I'm positive you might have a concussion. And don't think I didn't notice that nasty slash you're trying to hide. That's going to need stitches."

"Keh! It'll heal within the hour. As far as I'm concerned, I just have to make sure that the rib is set correctly before it starts healing."

The paramedic scoffed and continued to monitor Sadao.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and put a hand over one of his. "Thank you, Inuyasha. I don't know what I would've done if I lost him."

Inuyasha kept his eyes on her hand.

"Inuyasha, what happened?"

"Kagome, don't concern yourself with this. Kouga and I are going to take care of it."

"It was more than a mugging? Were they—" her voice broke and she pressed her lips together. "Were they going to murder him?"

Sighing, Inuyasha closed his eyes. "It looked like it."

A muffled sob escaped Kagome's lips and Inuyasha pulled her to him.

"Hey, quit crying. We got him and we got the fuckers responsible."

"They won't stop until he's dead, Inuyasha," she cried.

"And I won't stop until they are," he promised.

"_What happened_?"

Inuyasha debated whether he should tell her. He was close to refusing when he locked eyes with her and she mouthed the word 'please'.

"Kouga and I started running after we heard a crash and what sounded like yelling, followed by what sounded like a fight. Kouga beat me there— he's always been faster. When I got there, Kouga was busy dealing with one of the perps, which left the other one free to continue assaulting your father."

He hated how clinical he sounded but he knew that this was the only way to explain the situation to her without letting any emotions get involved.

"I immediately tried to get in between him and Sadao. We fought until I knocked him out and he wasn't a threat anymore. Then, I proceeded to check on your father and carried him, intending to bring him back to your place. I didn't notice… the car crash— they had t-boned your father's car into a pole. Gas was leaking and there was a live wire from the fallen pole. Kouga yelled at me to start running and we were running. We got as far as a block before the blast blew us off of our feet. I didn't want to let go of your father or fall on him so I landed on my back but I think he still got pretty jostled."

"Inuyasha, I don't even know how to begin to thank you…"

"You don't need to."

"Why would someone want to kill my father?"

"Those bastards… they were youkai. I only got a good look at one of them but he was an inuyoukai. The other one probably was, too."

Kagome frowned at him and squeezed his hand. "Inuyasha, you have nothing to feel guilty about—"

Inuyasha pulled his hand away. "Who said I felt guilty?!"

"No one. But I know you. And you're nothing like them, Inuyasha. I can differentiate between you and those men who attacked my father."

Kagome looked towards the front of the ambulance when it stilled. The back doors opened and white-coated men in scrubs aided the paramedic in lifting the gurney to the ground before wheeling it towards the hospital's trauma center.

"Status?"

"Patient received acute trauma stemming from a car crash and further blunt force trauma to the head from assault. Level of mobility is unknown. He was moved. Unconscious at the scene. Came back for a little bit during transit but needed to be sedated or else risk him going into shock."

Kagome, Inuyasha, and Souta rushed out of the ambulance to follow them inside. The three of them immediately hurried after Sadao, but the other doctor stopped them.

"Hold on. You need to get checked out," he said, looking at Inuyasha.

"I'm fine," Inuyasha growled. "Now get out of my way."

"Sir, I'm afraid I can't let you go on without receiving treatment."

"I waive my fucking rights to be treated— just let me go!"

"That's not our policy, detective. Please, nurse, take the detective to get a CT scan for his head and an additional x-ray for his torso."

"I don't need any of that! I just need someone to set this rib and it'll heal within an hour!"

"Sir, I'm going to ask you to lower your voice."

Glaring at him, Inuyasha spoke lowly, a dangerous edge to his voice, "How's this, doc? Now listen to me, I'm not going to get any of your fucking tests." He smirked satisfactorily when the doctor stared at him in fear.

"I… I have to insist that you take the tests, sir. I assure you that you'll be updated of Higurashi-san's status as soon as any news comes through."

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome and Souta, staring at him apprehensively. He sighed. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up later."

Kagome stepped towards him. "Inuyasha…"

"No, Kagome, go to your dad. I'll be fine. It won't take too long." He turned his golden gaze towards the doctor. "Will it, doc?" he asked coolly.

"Not long at all, provided you cooperate with our staff."

"Which he will," Kagome promised, raising her eyebrows at Inuyasha, much like a mother to a young child. She walked up to him and reminded him, "The more you cooperate, the sooner you'll be done. And the sooner you can…" Kagome bit her lip. What was she going to say? "Come back." _To me_.

They held each other's gaze for a second too long before Kagome looked back at the doctor, flustered. "How long will they take?"

"Shouldn't be more than a half an hour."

"Great." Inuyasha crossed his arms, instantly grimacing and undoing his arms when the motion brushed against his rib. "Can we get this over with then?"

Kagome hesitated. "I don't want to leave you alone."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her. "I'm a big boy, Kagome. I'm fine. Go check on your dad."

"I'll stay with him," Souta volunteered. "I don't want to see Dad like that. I'd rather stay with Inuyasha."

Kagome placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure, Souta?"

"Yeah. Besides, I think Inuyasha needs someone to hold his hand."

"Get over here, you runt." Inuyasha reached forward and wrapped his arm loosely around Souta's head, pressing the knuckles of his other hand into his scalp.

"What did I tell you, Kagome? Look at how he can't keep his hands off of me!"

Kagome couldn't help but smile. "Behave you two."

"Ma'am, you have my promise that your father and husband are in good hands and will receive the best possible care."

Kagome and Inuyasha froze, a bright scarlet coloring both of their faces.

"Oh he's not my husband. He's a close family friend."

"I'm sorry. I just assumed."

"It's fine," Kagome quipped. "Uhm, where can I wait for my father?"

"Kagome!" Kouga strode in through the hospital's automatic door, slightly out of breath. "How's your father? Is he okay?"

"Doctor, this is my husband, Detective Kayasaki." The two briefly shook hands.

"How is he?"

"I'm not the physician in charge of Higurashi-san. He's currently in the emergency room where the staff is working to stabilize his condition. I'm here to treat Detective Takado for his injuries, which he's finally allowed after some convincing from your wife."

"I won't keep you, then."

He nodded at Inuyasha. "Let's get started then." Looking back at Kagome, he added, "A nurse will take you somewhere where you can wait until you can see your father."

"Thank you."

Kouga put an arm around Kagome's shoulders and steered her in the direction a nurse was leading him. Inuyasha watched them walk away, his heart leaping into his throat when he saw Kagome turn her head over her shoulder and lock eyes with him. He couldn't begin walking until she finally looked away and disappeared around the corner with Kouga.

* * *

Souta looked up at Inuyasha from his seat, eyebrows raised. "Inuyasha, you're making me dizzy with all of your pacing."

Inuyasha huffed and finally sat on the bed provided for him in the exam room, his leg bouncing up and down quickly, causing the paper sheets to wrinkle.

Souta sighed. "Forget it. Go ahead and pace." He rested a cheek on one of his hands.

"This is a fucking waste of my time," Inuyasha muttered. "I mean _you_ could probably set my rib."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Souta deadpanned. "Inuyasha, it's been like three minutes."

"Three minutes too long."

Just then a woman dressed in a nurse's outfit but before she could speak, Inuyasha interrupted.

"Look, I'm not interested in any x-rays or CT scans. I know what's wrong with me. I just need someone to set my rib and some bandages to dress my wounds with, no stitches necessary."

"You're at risk for having a concussion—"

"Keh! I don't have a concussion. I scraped the back of my head, that's all. I can bandage it myself." Inuyasha turned away from her indignantly.

She pursed her lips. "I'll go get the doctor."

With a scoff, Souta shook his head at Inuyasha. "You're a piece of work, you know that right?"

"He is, but for some reason, he still manages to keep our friendship, doesn't he Souta?"

Inuyasha turned back to the door, his mouth slightly agape. "Hell no. There's no way I'm letting you fix me up."

"Aw Inuyasha. I thought we were better friends than that."

Miroku reached for the clipboard left near Inuyasha's bed and skimmed it. He raised his eyebrows. "Damn Inuyasha, you got yourself into a fight and then got caught in an explosion?"

Narrowing his eyes at Miroku, Inuyasha threatened, "Just hurry up and find someone to set this rib."

"Well since you made yourself such a pleasure, no one really wanted to work with you. That's why they sent a lowly resident to you. At least they didn't send an intern." Miroku put down Inuyasha's file, his gaze alighting on Souta. "So Souta, what are you doing here?"

"Holding Inuyasha's hand."

Miroku smiled. "Don't tell me you were involved with the fight," he joked.

Souta frowned. "No… Kagome and I came here in the ambulance with our father."

"Your father?" Miroku's amethyst eyes widened. "Don't tell me that the man they wheeled into trauma is your father." He looked back at Inuyasha. "How's Kagome?"

"She's fine. Kouga's with her while they wait."

"Oh." Miroku looked at Inuyasha with a mixture of sympathy and pity.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha resisted the urge to slap Miroku. "Oh for Kami's sake… Come on! Stop making this more awkward than it has to be."

"Fine. Have a seat, Inuyasha." Miroku gestured to the bed and Inuyasha plopped himself down onto it, the paper sheets crinkling again.

Miroku shined a small flash light into Inuyasha's each of his eyes as he held them open by lifting the lid with his other hand. He then probed Inuyasha's rib, frowning at one particular spot. "Well that's nasty."

"Feels that way," Inuyasha said through gritted teeth.

"Better take care of this before your accelerated healing makes matters worse."

"Just shut up and set it!"

"I can't do that, Inuyasha. I need an x-ray to see how badly it's broken. If it's a complete break, you may require surgery or the edges can puncture a lung." Miroku walked just outside the door, calling over a nurse. He was whispering quickly with her, but of course, Inuyasha could hear.

"I need you to get Detective Takado to x-ray as soon as possible after I take care of his other wounds."

"How'd you manage that? He's been biting off the head of everyone else who suggested the same thing."

Miroku chuckled. "Proof that I'm going to be the best doctor this hospital's ever seen," he replied, his voice oozing with charm. He smiled genially as the nurse walked away laughing.

Inuyasha sneered at him, "I'm surprised you didn't ask her out for drinks."

"I'm with Sango." Miroku's face lit up as he told Inuyasha.

"I heard; wouldn't have meant much before."

Miroku shrugged it off. "I was younger. And those girls weren't Sango." He reached into a cabinet, pulling out antiseptic and a roll of bandages. He nodded at the large slash in Inuyasha's side that the other inuyoukai had caused during their fight. "I assume that I don't need to stitch you up."

"Nope."

"I'll just dress it then." He paused awkwardly. "Shirt off, Inuyasha."

Souta guffawed, earning the glare of both Miroku and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha complied, peeling off his jacket and shirt gingerly while Miroku worked. Inuyasha made a face from the sting of antiseptic on the open wound. Miroku let out a low whistle. "Anyone else but you and this would have required fifteen stitches."

"Good thing it happened to me then," Inuyasha retorted dryly.

"I heard that you're Kouga's partner." He saw the look Inuyasha gave him from the corner of his eye and explained, "You know how Sango and Kagome are when they get together."

Inuyasha smirked quickly before it turned into a frown. "Yeah we're partners. I moved back just before winter and I got assigned to Kouga's squad."

"Serendipitous."

"If you say so."

"Can't imagine that it's not awkward," Miroku murmured as he moved to treat the scrapes on the back of Inuyasha's head.

"It isn't. As much as Kouga and I like to be jerks to each other, we _are_ friendly and we work well in the field."

Miroku nodded. "I remember from high school. But you're honestly saying that he doesn't mind you being in close proximity to Kagome?"

Snorting, Inuyasha said, "He invited me to spend the night at their place if I got too drunk to drive home."

Souta shifted in his seat, something that did not go by unnoticed by Inuyasha. He narrowed his eyes at him.

"What's wrong, Souta?"

"It's nothing."

"You have something to say, you might as well say it."

Souta sighed. "I like Kouga. He treats Kagome like a queen and he loves her. But as much as he tries to make her happy… I've noticed how aloof she's been lately." He looked down. "Ever since you came back." He shrugged. "I see it whenever I go over to their place. It's different. Inuyasha, as much as I like Kouga, I don't think it's any secret who my first choice for Kagome would have been."

"I don't think so, Souta. I hurt her pretty badly."

"She loves you more than she was angry at you."

Inuyasha made a face and focused on what Miroku was doing to the back of his head, effectively ignoring Souta.

"Inuyasha…" he pressed on.

"Kid, have they been fighting or something?"

"No. They _seem_ the same." Before Inuyasha could comment, Souta quickly continued, "I said they _seem_ the same, Inuyasha. That doesn't mean they are. There's something off about the way they act around each other. The way Kagome acts around Kouga."

"And you think it's because of me?"

There was a knock at the door and the nurse from earlier peeked her head in. "Excuse me, Dr. Kobayashi? They're ready for Detective Takado now."

"Thanks. Let's go, Inuyasha. Souta, we'll be back in about ten minutes."

The younger boy nodded silently before sinking into his chair and sulking. Inuyasha sighed and let Miroku go ahead, pausing by Souta. "Your sister's given me more than I could dream to return. There's so much that she deserves but it's too late, Souta. There's nothing I can say or do. If I had the slightest chance, I'd take it in a heartbeat."

Inuyasha put a hand on Souta's shoulder before leaving to follow Miroku. He saw him glancing at him out of the corner of his eye and Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "What?"

"If you ask me, I don't think Souta's that far off."

"No one asked you," Inuyasha grumbled.

* * *

Kagome's gaze never wavered as she focused on her father's face. Sadao was laid on an inclined bed, his eyes closed and his breathing even. They had cleaned up his face so that it was no longer bloodied, but it only made the wounds more visible. Kagome fought to quell the surge of rage that built up inside of her when she thought about the men who had done this to her father. Her hands gripped the bars on the side of the bed so tightly that her knuckles turned alabaster.

Kouga stood behind her and gently loosened her grip on the bar, intertwining her fingers with his. He spoke her name softly, almost reverently.

She sighed and leaned into him. "Why would anyone attack him?"

"Your father's a powerful man, Kagome. His firm's dealing with a lot of dangerous men. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them ordered one of his lackeys to do this."

"My father hasn't stepped into a courtroom in years."

"It's not personal… it's to send a message." Kouga suppressed a growl. "These bastards think that they hold all of the power and they're willing to do anything to prove it."

"Inuyasha said that one of them was an inuyoukai?"

"Both of them were. It's peculiar. We haven't seen any movement from youkai crime organizations. Mostly human ones. It's the first time they've surfaced in a while."

"What does it mean?"

"It means I'm not letting you out of my sight. I'm serious, Kagome. You _and_ Souta. If they went after your father, I wouldn't be surprised if they went after you, too."

"Who's next? You?—" Kagome's voice took a slightly frantic tone "— Inuyasha? Jii-chan?"

"That's not going to happen. I won't let it."

"Everyone I love is a target because of me!"

Kouga tightened his hold on her. "Kagome, stop blaming yourself. None of this is your fault."

"Kouga, I don't think I could handle it if anyone else had to be sent to the hospital or worse." She turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest.

"You'll never have to deal with that."

"Two of the most important people in my life are already here, Kouga."

Kouga pulled away from her and Kagome looked up at him, puzzled.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Kagome, there's nothing going on between you and him is there?"

Kagome recoiled, backing out of his arms, her expression hurt and as if he had slapped her. "Are you seriously asking me that? You think I'm capable of something like that?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, Kagome! I was there when you guys dated when we were younger. I witnessed for myself what you two were like."

"You didn't answer my question, Kouga."

"You didn't answer mine, either."

"Of course there's nothing going on between Inuyasha and me! Yes, we have history. But that's all it is— that's all it _can_ be. He's one of my friends, Kouga. He was there for me when my mother died. Why wouldn't I care about his welfare?" She glared at her husband. "Do you really think I'm capable of something like that when cheating was what hurt me the most? That betrayal of trust? You honestly think I would inflict that on someone else?"

"No!" Kouga averted his eyes, staring at the tiled floor. "I… I overheard what that doctor said and how he thought you and Inuyasha were married."

Kagome's face contorted even more as the anger rose. "Are you serious? It's an honest mistake! I corrected him immediately so what's the problem? I think the real issue is that you just don't trust me, Kouga!"

"He obviously saw something that led him to think that the two of you were together."

"I can't believe you're willing to act this petty," she spat back acerbically. "You don't trust your wife? You don't trust your partner? Inuyasha's your goddamn partner, Kouga! He's your lifeline when you're working and you know as well as I do that he would put his life on the line for you."

"Kagome, he wouldn't do that for my sake and you know it. He'd do it for yours."

"Is that really your opinion of your partner and friend? Because before any of us got involved romantically, we were all _friends_ first. You and Inuyasha have always been competitive but you've never acted vindictively towards each other. You know, I can't _believe_ that you would doubt his friendship. Inuyasha's not that kind of man." Kagome's shoulders sagged. "I don't understand where any of this is coming from."

Kouga shrugged, his gaze still not quite on her. "You've been distant ever since he came back."

"We both know that has nothing to do with him. Everyone in the city's been swamped with work the past few months. You of all people know that. The fact that we are in a hospital following a freaking _explosion_ is proof of that."

Kouga's eyebrow arched as she spoke. The coincidence between the two events was too great for him to ignore. But he'd file that away for another day.

"You didn't take my last name."

Kagome clicked her tongue at him. "We both know that my father wouldn't allow it. My last name is well known… and probably what got him into this damn mess!"

"Why won't you become my mate?"

Pain splashed across her features once more. "That's never been an issue," she whispered.

"It's still not," he assured her. Kouga felt guilty but his blue eyes appraised her. "But humor me."

"I… I'm just not—"

Kagome became distracted by the sound of her father stirring. She stood over her father, gently placing a hand on the top of his head while taking one of his hands with her other one. Sadao groaned as he attempted to open his eyes, his face contorting into a painful grimace instead. Kouga sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets, knowing that their conversation was over.

"Dad?"

"Kagome… where am I?"

Kagome frowned. "You don't remember?"

"I… it's very confusing!" Sadao yelled, frustrated.

"Dad it's okay. You're at Todai— the University of Tokyo's Hospital."

"The hospital…? Why, I… my head hurts, Kagome."

"It's okay, Dad. I'll get the nurse."

"No, no, please don't leave."

"I'll get one." Kouga squeezed Kagome's shoulder reassuringly and although she was still angry with him, she smiled at him gratefully. Kouga's face brightened slightly at her smile and hurried out of the room to find a nurse.

"Kagome, what… I remember getting hit in the car and then Inuyasha carried me."

Her eyes downcast, Kagome gently smiled at her father. Then she sighed and explained, "You got hit by the car and then I guess you started arguing with whoever hit you. It escalated into a fight which Inuyasha and Kouga responded to. Inuyasha managed to get in between you and one of your attackers."

Sadao closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.

"There was gas leaking from the cars and the crash caused a street pole to collapse and there was a live wire… you had gone unconscious so Inuyasha ran with you to get away from the blast."

His eyes remaining closed, Sadao murmured, "I owe him even more, now. I owe him more than my life."

"Dad?"

Seemingly not hearing Kagome, Sadao continued, "Such a good man. So grateful to Inuyasha."

"Dad?" Kagome tried again.

Sadao opened his eyes and smiled sadly at her. "He's such a good man, Kagome."

"I know he is, Dad."

"Your mother loved him, you know. Knew how happy he made you."

"Mom loved everyone."

Sadao nodded sadly, his eyes closing once more. "I miss your mother so much, Kagome. There's not a day that goes by where I don't miss her." He sighed and let out a small moan before drifting off into sleep once more.

Kouga returned with a young woman trailing after him. She cast a small, supportive at Kagome before briskly moving towards the various machines set up by Sadao's bedside. Her brow furrowed as she looked over the machines and checked their results. Pulling off the stethoscope from around her neck, she listened to Sadao's heartbeat and lungs. A small piece of her auburn bangs fell into her eyes as she leaned over to do so.

"He went back to sleep, huh?" she asked quietly.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, he was kind of talking nonsense before he did, though. He couldn't remember the accident." She looked from him to the nurse. "He said he had a headache?"

The nurse nodded. "Perfectly normal, considering what happened to him. If you'd like, we can bump up his dosage of pain medication." She turned to adjust the settings on a machine that his IV was connected to. "I've been told that you're still not aware of your father's condition?"

"No, not yet. After my father was taken to the ICU, his physician had another urgent case to attend to."

"Well your father's suffered heavy blunt force trauma. There was some internal injury to his abdomen that could be attributed to either the car crash or the following assault. He has a concussion. It's obvious that he banged up his head pretty badly. A broken wrist… we haven't gotten his x-rays or other scans in yet so we can't rule out any internal injury yet."

"Oh Kami…"

The nurse smiled warmly at her. "I'm sure your father will be fine, Higurashi-san."

"Kagome."

"Kagome. You can call me Ayame." Ayame glanced down at her watch. "Your father's doctor should be free by now. I'll go find him and see if he got your father's results back. Then I'll send him in to see you."

"Thank you," Kagome and Kouga chorused.

Ayame left them and Kagome sighed again looking at her father.

"You've been sighing too often."

"Tell me about it," she replied dryly.

"Kagome you can go to sleep. No one's going to hurt him now."

Kagome pursed her lips and then it was Kouga's turn to sigh. He picked up his wife, ignoring her protests, and softly placed her on the armchair on the other side of the room. He gently restrained her, pushing her back down when she tried to get up.

"Sleep."

"I can't."

Kouga knelt down in front of her and made a face at her. "Try harder."

"Kouga, how can I possibly go to sleep?"

"You're exhausted, Kagome. Your dad's asleep. I'll wake you up when he's awake or the doctor comes in, whichever comes first."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to hers. "Now sleep, woman."

Kagome looked at him warily, but nodded, curling up into a small ball in the armchair and closing her eyes.

Kouga leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He remained in this position for the next forty-five minutes, his glance alternating between his sleeping wife and sleeping father-in-law. His gaze lingered on Kagome's sleeping form. He knelt by her and lightly brushed her bangs off of her face. Taking a deep breath, he frowned. Kagome's scent was always like he remembered— fresh peonies with a touch of the sweetness of honey. The lack of his own scent mixed with hers was a big blow to his ego and to his heart. Kouga continued to stare at Kagome's face, hoping that by searching it, he'd figure out why she refused to bind herself to him.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Ayame's soft voice got Kouga's attention and he was surprised he didn't notice her walk into the room earlier. He got to his feet and stared at her expectantly. She smiled apologetically at him and gestured to Kagome.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I need to ask you to wake up your wife. There's some paperwork that she needs to look over regarding Higurashi-san's hospitalization."

Kouga sighed. "And it can't wait?"

Ayame bit her lower lip and shook her head.

Rolling his eyes, he leaned over Kagome, shaking her shoulder gently. "Kagome," he whispered gently, "The nurse needs you to deal with some paperwork for your dad."

Kagome groggily opened her eyes and sat up, her palm rubbing over her bleary eyes. "Ok," she murmured. She yawned and accepted Kouga's hand to help her up. As she stood, she heard some of her joints crack and she groaned. "I'm getting too old."

"You're perfect. Now hurry up. I'll stay here with your dad." Kouga accepted the quick kiss from Kagome before she left the room with Ayame.

He saw their shadows stop just outside the door and a new voice talking to them.

"Higurashi-san, I have some people who'd like to see your father. I've informed them that you wouldn't be taking any visitors, but they insisted."

"Oh no, they're family. They're welcome to come in."

* * *

Inuyasha winced and he fought not to curse at Miroku again. He had already cursed him to the depths of hell and beyond in the past three minutes. He sucked in another gasp of air as Miroku pressed against his torso, wrapping the bandage one last time before securing in place. Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief but quickly glared at Miroku when Miroku smiled apologetically at him.

"Why the fuck are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm not exactly done…"

"You're not done?" Inuyasha asked, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Miroku held up an elastic band. "We just have to fit this rib belt over you and then you're all set," he said, chipper.

"You're telling me that these bandages aren't enough?"

"Unfortunately, no. You're lucky, Inuyasha. You saw the results of your x-ray. Anyone else and I would have insisted on surgery to help fix up that rib."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just get the damn thing on." He raised his arms once more so that Miroku could fasten the belt.

"Souta, can you hold this edge?"

Miroku held out one end of the belt at one side of Inuyasha's torso. Souta held it in place as Miroku wrapped the belt around Inuyasha, the elastic fabric stretching but not enough that it didn't compress Inuyasha's torso when Miroku fastened the two ends together. Inuyasha pursed his lips in an effort to hold in the groan that threatened to come out with the pain.

"Have we finally finished torturing me?" he asked, his voice tight.

"You're good to go, Inuyasha. I don't recommend that you do any strenuous activity for the next twelve hours. In all probability, by then, you'll be healed."

"Keh! I'll be sleeping."

Miroku raised a dark eyebrow at him. "Most likely at your desk at the station."

Inuyasha grunted his response and glanced at Souta and back at Miroku. "Can we go see Sadao now?"

"Public visiting hours ended a while ago. I'm sure Souta would be able to go, but I'm sorry, I don't know whether you'd be able to, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha nodded understandingly. "That's fine. I should probably be on my way to the station. You said that the two bastards responsible for this are still unconscious right?"

"And under watch by armed officers."

"Then I guess I'm not needed here anymore." Inuyasha jumped off of the bed, shrugging on his jacket. "Come on, kid." He reached an arm out to usher Souta out of the room.

Souta jerked away from his touch. "Inuyasha, you can't leave yet."

Inuyasha groaned in exasperation. "You heard Miroku. What am I going to do for the next eight hours while I wait for it to be visiting hours? I'm better off getting some work done."

"You're the one who saved my dad's life! He'd want to see you."

"Kid…"

"I'm not a goddamn little kid anymore, Inuyasha!"

Miroku coughed loudly, getting both of their attention. "I could send someone to talk to Sadao's nurse and see if she'd let Inuyasha in."

"Miroku, that's not necessary."

"Maybe not for you, Inuyasha, but it seems to be important to Souta."

Growling in frustration, Inuyasha pushed past them. "Fine! Hurry up though so I can get out of this fucking hospital sooner."

Miroku and Souta shared a fist bump and a grin as they trailed after the grumbling hanyou. Miroku took the lead and led them to the nurse's station where he asked one of the nurse's to find Sadao Higurashi's nurse.

"Higurashi-san's nurse?" She browsed through the numerous files on the desk to find Sadao's and the nurse listed. "You're looking for Yorozoku-chan."

"Yorozoku? How come I've never met her before?"

The nurse cast him a snide glare. "Probably because she heard the other nurses' rumours of your lechery."

"Hey! I'm happily in a long-term relationship with my girlfriend!"

"Bless her soul for dealing with you." Inuyasha guffawed with pure pleasure at the exchange and Miroku blushed.

"Can you please tell me where Yorozoku-san is?"

"She should be checking on another patient." The nurse looked around and pointed at a room. "In there."

"Thank you for your help. It's deeply appreciated."

She raised an eyebrow at him skeptically and Miroku nervously chuckled as he returned to Inuyasha and Souta.

"I'll go ask the nurse if we can visit."

"I _heard_, Miroku." Inuyasha gestured to the triangular appendages perched on the top of his head. "Just hurry up." He scoffed as he watched Miroku enter another room. Inuyasha nudged Souta with his shoulder. "You need anything?"

Souta shook his head. "I just need to see my dad."

Miroku came back, a grin on his face. "She said she'd have to go ask Sadao's daughter first, but obviously, Kagome's going to agree. She just left to go ask her. Come on, I know where Sadao's room is."

As they approached the hospital room, Inuyasha was able to pick up Kagome's voice as she talked to the nurse.

"Higurashi-san, I have some people who'd like to see your father. I've informed them that you wouldn't be taking any visitors, but they insisted."

"Oh no, they're family. They're welcome to come in."

"You stay here then, Kagome. I can just bring the paperwork to you."

Inuyasha frowned. There was something familiar about the nurse's voice but he couldn't place her. By the time they reached the door, however, both she and Kagome were gone.

Miroku opened the door and held it open for Inuyasha and Souta to enter first. Souta immediately ran to his father's side. Sadao was groaning softly as he slept.

"Is he okay?"

"He will be," Kagome answered. She snuck a glimpse at Inuyasha from the corner of her eye before she leveled her gaze back at Souta. "How are you, Inuyasha?"

Miroku closed the door behind him as he entered. "As his physician, I am convinced that he will make a full recovery."

Kagome let out a small cry of happiness as she hugged Miroku, who rubbed her back comfortingly. Kagome frowned when she felt his hand travel lower. Inuyasha noticed and scowled.

"Try it, and my best friend will suddenly be single again."

"Damn right," Kouga muttered.

Miroku held up his palms and laughed sheepishly. "How are you holding up, Lady Kagome?"

Kagome couldn't help but shake her head and smile at his old nickname for him. "As best as can be expected. The doctor should be coming in soon to tell us how long Dad's going to have to stay here. I'm guessing it's probably going to be a long time?"

Miroku stared at Kagome's father, scrutinizing his condition. "It would appear so, unfortunately."

The door opened and Ayame walked in, a clipboard and some papers in her hand. "Kagome, here's the paperwork I was talk— Inuyasha!"

Ayame's green eyes widened in shock and everything in her hands fell to the floor in a flutter and clattered noisily as her body went slack. Kagome frowned at her in concern and followed her gaze to Inuyasha, whose gold orbs were wide with surprise as well.

"Ayame," he mumbled, stunned.

"Do you two know each other?" Kagome looked between the two perplexedly.

She turned to Miroku, who quickly averted her gaze, choosing to stare at the tiled floor instead. Kagome looked back at Inuyasha. He was no longer staring at Ayame but looked at Kagome, his eyes forlorn and his shoulders slumped, ashamed. Guilty. Kagome's eyes widened in shock and she took in a sharp inhale of air.

Inuyasha's blood turned into ice when he saw the realization dawn on her face, quickly followed by hurt and betrayal, as fresh as when she first found out he had cheated on her.

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

**inuyasha rawr 17:** Well there's always going to be that connection between Kagome and Inuyasha, right? Sorry that you're not a happy camper that they're not together but you're going to have to be that way for a while. Sorrysorrysorry! I haven't given away too much right? And I don't know, couldn't Kagome's reasons for not wanting to mate just be commitment issues after having been cheated on? It could actually have nothing to do with wanting to get back with Inuyasha. Playing devil's advocate and being annoying in general right now lol. Thanks for the review!

**Say0mi Saki:** Thanks for such a thorough review! They're my favorite kind :) The hardest part of this story so far, as its writer, is your point exactly: no clear antagonist that's causing issues. I mean, if you wanted, you could claim Kouga is the antagonist, but really, he's done nothing but act as kind, loving husband to Kagome. He's just…. _in the way_ of what we as an audience want (which is some Inuyasha/Kagome goodness amiright?!). An obstacle rather than an antagonist. And I tried to make Inuyasha not douchebaggy when it came to his cheating on Kagome. There's something to pity about him even though he's the one at fault for cheating on her. There's a reason for that, which I _will_ reveal later on, but I can't let anything out yet! Thanks for the lovely review!

**Anime Lady PIMP:** "Oh shit" indeed. Lol thanks for reviewing!

Eh I realize things may have gotten chaotic/confusing when I was using italics and what not in the beginning. Well.. it was a chaotic scene in my defense lol. For clarification, italics with a single quotation marks is a thought, the italics with regular marks was Kagome over the phone line. I don't think any of you are dumb, but I am. And I would have been confused by something like that lol. I will always mark flashbacks with some kind of time stamp before diving into them. And uh yeah. Also, concerning Miroku, I have no idea how the system works in Japan concerning the process to become a doctor so I'm following the US protocol. And the last part, I hope it was clear that what I was writing occurred simultaneously. And about that ending… bet you didn't see that coming, huh? Heh... heh.*Awkward author leaves awkward author's note* Heading back to uni very soon. So prepare yourselves for a very long wait until the next update (hopefully I'm being pessimistic instead of realistic). But please read, review, and wonder! :)


	6. Young Blood

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything else not a figment of my imagination.**

Chapter 6: Young Blood

* * *

**Summary: **Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school and university, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless cup of coffee when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

* * *

_Last Time…_

_Miroku held up his palms and laughed sheepishly. "How are you holding up, Lady Kagome?"_

_Kagome couldn't help but shake her head and smile at his old nickname for him. "As best as can be expected. The doctor should be coming in soon to tell us how long Dad's going to have to stay here. I'm guessing it's probably going to be a long time?"_

_Miroku stared at Kagome's father, scrutinizing his condition. "It would appear so, unfortunately."_

_The door opened and Ayame walked in, a clipboard and some papers in her hand. "Kagome, here's the paperwork I was talk— Inuyasha!"_

_Ayame's green eyes widened in shock and everything in her hands fell to the floor in a flutter and clattered noisily as her body went slack. Kagome frowned at her in concern and followed her gaze to Inuyasha, whose gold orbs were wide with surprise as well._

"_Ayame," he mumbled, stunned._

"_Do you two know each other?" Kagome looked between the two perplexedly._

_She turned to Miroku, who quickly averted her gaze, choosing to stare at the tiled floor instead. Kagome looked back at Inuyasha. He was no longer staring at Ayame but looked at Kagome, his eyes forlorn and his shoulders slumped, ashamed. Guilty. Kagome's eyes widened in shock and she took in a sharp inhale of air._

_Inuyasha's blood turned into ice when he saw the realization dawn on her face, quickly followed by hurt and betrayal, as fresh as when she first found out he had cheated on her._

* * *

_Eighteen years ago…_

Two young children, no more than six or seven years old, laughed as they chased each other around the derelict playground. The small girl growled playfully before leaping onto the back of the slightly taller boy, the two comically falling over onto the concrete laughing.

"Ayame! Get your fat butt off of me!" the boy yelled.

The girl harrumphed before rolling off of his back and holding a hand out to help him out, a small flush on her cheeks, slightly redder than her auburn hair. "You really shouldn't be so mean to me, Inuyasha. I'm your only friend."

"Keh!"

Inuyasha ignored her hand and got up by himself, pointedly avoiding looking at her while he crossed his arms. "You're not my only friend, Ayame."

Ayame narrowed her green eyes at him, putting her hands on her hips. "Your mother doesn't count," she sneered.

Ignoring her, Inuyasha walked over to where the two had left their backpacks. He hooked a strap over one shoulder and began walking. Ayame frowned and hurriedly grabbed her own bag and put on the two straps before running to catch up to Inuyasha. She looked at him slyly from the corner of the eye, noting the angry pout on his face.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

"Keh!"

She sighed and looked down at her feet as they walked from the empty school playground back to the apartment complex where they both lived. "I didn't mean it. I mean, you're my only friend, too."

Inuyasha mumbled something back but she didn't catch it.

Ayame frowned. "What was that? Inuyasha, I didn't even hear that with my hearing." She gestured to the pointed hers on either side of her head, hidden beneath the thick pigtails she had her hair in.

Having to repeat himself put Inuyasha out even more. His eyebrows coming together, he repeated, "I'm sorry for calling you fat."

"Really?"

Inuyasha scowled at her in disbelief before looking forward again. "Well, duh! Look at you! You're skinny… like a chicken's legs."

With a sigh, Ayame deadpanned, "Thanks, Inuyasha." She pursed her lips and after another minute of silence, she continued, "You know, having your mom as your only friend isn't a bad thing. Especially with your mom. She's so pretty and nice."

Inuyasha looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, suspicious as to where she was going with her new topic of conversation. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbled.

"At least you know your mom."

Inuyasha stopped walking and turned towards her, but Ayame was still looking down at her feet, her face hidden in the shadows of her thick bangs. She kept walking and he shuffled uncomfortably before he caught up with her again.

Ayame never had the chance to know her parents, he knew that. When he and his mother had first moved into the cheap apartment complex, Izayoi was delighted to see the little girl that lived just a few floors below them who happened to be remarkably close to Inuyasha's age. After Ayame and Inuyasha's first meeting in the apartment complex's small courtyard, she had asked the little girl to meet her parents, but to her shock, Ayame nearly burst into tears. When she dropped off the near hysterical girl at her apartment, an elderly man opened the door and welcomed them in.

Ayame's mother was a troubled young woman. She had run away from home and Ayame's grandparents never heard from her or knew of her fate until nearly a decade ago when a bassinet with a sleeping baby was dropped off in front of their door. There was a note from Ayame's mother and the note detailed how she knew that Ayame would have a better life with her grandparents. The man's wife, or mate, as he introduced himself as a wolf youkai to Izayoi, had passed away a little more than a year ago. As much as she loved her mate and granddaughter, the grief of losing her only child had broken her heart. The old man didn't follow his mate in death because of his desire to raise Ayame.

"At least you still got your old man," Inuyasha said. "And he's alright, if you ask me. Helps out me and my mom even though I'm a hanyou."

Smiling affectionately at the mention of her grandfather, Ayame lifted her head and looked back at Inuyasha before blushing and then back in front of her.

"I guess we're two of a kind then."

"Keh, suit yourself. Ain't nobody out there like me!" Inuyasha retorted, referring to the fact that Ayame was full-blooded and he wasn't.

Rolling her eyes, Ayame elbowed Inuyasha and gasped when he elbowed her back. "Baka."

Her insult had no effect on Inuyasha. She rolled her eyes again and shrugged. "You know that's not what I meant. Face it Inuyasha, you and I, we're stuck together."

They rounded the corner, coming up to the apartment complex where they lived. They passed through the rickety gate, closing it behind them even though they both knew that it couldn't keep out anything, and then walked up the three flights of stairs to where Ayame lived. Inuyasha and Ayame hesitated awkwardly and Ayame smiled at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow to walk to school together?"

"Keh, sure," he grumbled before leaping up the staircase to the small studio he shared with his mom.

Ayame blinked at him before smiling once more to herself. She entered her apartment and found her grandfather serenely tending to the small bonsai tree they kept on the windowsill. Hearing his granddaughter enter, he turned to let her hug him in greeting.

"Sorry I'm late, jii-chan. Inuyasha and I ended up playing at the playground after school."

"Ah, so that's where you've been." He settled down into a chair around the dining table while Ayame put her backpack in her room before preparing a cup of tea for her grandfather like she always did after school.

"Ever since he moved in, the two of you have been inseparable."

Ayame shrugged. "He's the only kid around my age who lives here, jii-chan. And we go to the same school so it's just easy to play with him."

She sat down across from him, munching on chocolate covered pretzel sticks.

"Don't eat too much of those or you'll spoil your dinner."

"Yes, jii-chan."

Ayame's grandfather took on a knowing smile. "You're sure that you don't have a little crush on that boy?"

Ayame blinked rapidly, her cheeks taking on a flush that neared the color of her hair. This only made her grandfather chuckle and Ayame slumped down in her chair, whining, "Jii-chan!"

* * *

_Ten years ago…_

"Happy birthday!"

Ayame happily hurried across the school's cafeteria to sit down next to Inuyasha at their usual table. She didn't register the look on his face as she reached into her backpack to pull out a small gift bag with delicate tissue paper sticking out of the top. Ayame faltered when she turned to hand it to him, noting his expression, and she placed it on the table.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he grumbled.

"Of course something's wrong; you're grumbling," she pointed out. "But it's okay— I have something that will make you feel much better."

Reaching for her gift again, she was interrupted when Inuyasha threw something onto the table. Ayame looked up at him, but his gaze was trained on the unassuming, seemingly harmless envelope. Ayame began to reach for it, hesitating only to look at Inuyasha for permission. He scoffed and shrugged and Ayame took the envelope in her hands, peering inside and seeing a new credit card along with a greeting card. She didn't read the card, but read the signature.

"From your father?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, along with a new bike, some new clothes, that new video game console and a bunch of other shit I ain't interested in."

"Inuyasha…"

"Like I really want whatever shit his money can buy. What I want is for him to stop dicking around and just divorce his wife and get on with my mom," he growled. His fist slammed against the table and Ayame jumped.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay." She bit her lip before smiling and asking, "What time are you guys supposed to have dinner tonight?" Ayame hoped it was early— the latest she could get a reservation at the restaurant was still relatively early.

"Dinner's canceled. Says he has a meeting."

"Inuyasha, I'm sure it was really important… Here, look, I've got something…"

Trying to hand him her gift again, Ayame frowned when Inuyasha abruptly stood up and began to gather his things. She knew what would happen next. It happened every time there was something new with his father. Inuyasha usually never stayed at school past lunch and she never bothered asking him where he spent the rest of his time before he went home when his mother expected him.

While zipping up his backpack, Inuyasha stopped to stare at the small gift-wrapped box inside that his mother must have snuck in.

"Fuck, there's another one."

He grabbed the tiny box and carelessly tossed it onto the table before slinging his bag over his shoulder and calling out, "I'll see you later, Ayame."

"Wait! Inuyasha, don't you want to open it?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Just drop it, Ayame! Leave it for someone else to take."

"Why are you so upset? You usually open the gifts at least."

"Because I'm sick and tired of the old man's shit. It's been the same thing for the past fourteen years and I've had enough. Always an expensive gift because he can't afford to come to a measly dinner that my mom spends all day preparing for. Says he's got some bullshit meeting with his lawyer over the divorce but that hag of his isn't ever gonna let him go through with it so I don't know why he bothers."

Ayame frowned but put the box, along with the opened envelope, in her gift bag and ran to catch up with him. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Wait!"

She ran in front of him, blocking his path and ignoring the glare he gave her. "Listen to me for a minute, will you? I know you're gonna ditch for the rest of the day but can you please meet me here after school?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth but Ayame shook her head. "Just… just be here, okay? It's important."

"Keh! I'll be here if I want to be here, Ayame."

Inuyasha strode past her and she watched him walk through the campus' front gate and round the corner, his tall frame and shock of white hair still singling him out, even in the crowd of people out for a lunch break. Ayame frowned at the bag she held in her hands and blinked at the tears forming.

"Baka," she hissed before running back inside.

The rest of the school day passed by without any real differentiation between classes or events for Ayame. She was too distracted by a boy who didn't even care to think about how anyone else might worry about him. She contemplated telling everyone she invited that dinner would be canceled, but she figured that everyone would want to meet up anyway. She decided to call the restaurant and make the reservation earlier in that case since she didn't want everyone waiting for someone who might not show up… and with the slight hope that Inuyasha would show up. Ayame slowed her steps as she approached the front gate of the school, wondering if she should even bother waiting for Inuyasha or whether she should just go straight to the restaurant.

"Oi! You plan on taking forever?"

Ayame gasped and grinned at the grumpy looking hanyou leaning against the gate.

"Come on! What's with the shock and awe? You asked me to be here so I'm here."

Unable to contain herself, Ayame hugged him and Inuyasha stiffened, waiting until she released him, a pink flush on his cheeks.

"Girls… embarrassing as hell."

Punching him playfully, Ayame giggled and the two began walking.

"Since you're in a better mood, maybe you'll finally listen to me." Ayame reached behind her to pull her bag to the front and dig out the gift. "I know it's not much but I hope you'll like it… or at least have the decency to pretend you do," she laughed. She looked up and found herself alone. "Inuyasha?"

Turning around, she saw that she and Inuyasha had veered off into different directions.

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha whirled around, confusion evident on his face and he stared at her like _she_ was crazy.

"Ayame, what the fuck are you doing there? Have you forgotten where we live?"

"Inuyasha, I can't believe you!" Ayame screamed, near hysterics.

Inuyasha's gold eyes widened in alarm and he ran across the street, ignoring the honks and yells from the from the divers. He hovered his hands above her shoulders, unsure how to stop her.

"Come on, Ayame, you know I'm not any good at this. What's the matter with you? What are you so upset about? I came back to school _after ditching_ to fucking walk you back home!"

Ayame pushed him away. "You!" she yelled, pointing a finger at him. "You're such a jerk. You've been completely ignoring me all day and you won't let me give you your gift!" Ayame threw the gift at him forcefully and Inuyasha clumsily caught it, looking between it and her.

Continuing her tirade, Ayame advanced towards the startled hanyou. "You're such a selfish _asshole_ and I got everyone to go to your birthday dinner at your favorite restaurant after you were supposed to have dinner with your parents and I even changed the reservation time after you told me that dinner with your parents was canceled but you just want to walk around the city being broody and… and grumpy and being an overall _bastard_, you jerk!"

Inuyasha's face softened. "You planned a dinner for me?"

"Yeah! And kami knows how I managed to get other people to show up because you're not exactly Mr. Congeniality! I don't even know why I even tried so hard when you don't even appreciate it or me!"

"I'm sorry."

"And— … what?" Ayame blinked her emerald eyes up at him. "Y-you're sorry?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. Inuyasha looked down at the gift she thrust at him. He poked a finger into it, digging through the tissue to find her gift, making a face when he saw the unopened gift and envelope from his father. But he found her gift and pulled it out.

Ayame pushed his hand back down into the bag, a blush on her cheeks. "You don't have to open it now!"

"Are you kidding me? You were just on my fucking case about not opening your gift!"

"Yeah, but I don't want to be here when you open it."

"Why? Is it embarrassing?" Inuyasha smirked and a mischievous glint came into his eyes. "Is it a picture of naked girls?"

Ayame hit him again. "Hentai," she muttered.

Inuyasha's smirk disappeared when he pulled out the envelope and then the two tickets inside, his eyes widening. "No way, Ayame. Tickets to the NPB championships? Holy fuck, how much did that cost you?"

"Hey! It's a gift, you can't ask how much something costs! And in case you didn't notice, I gave you _two_ tickets."

"Yeah… I just gotta figure out who to ta— ow!" Inuyasha scowled at her, reaching up to rub his ear after she released her hold on it. "Of course, I'm gonna take you, you idiot." He peered in the bag again. "You want me to read this now or later?"

With a shrug, Ayame said, "It's up to you."

Inuyasha stared at the card, his brow furrowing. "I'll read it later. But thanks, Ayame."

Ayame smiled, pleased with herself.

"Now come on, let's go to this great dinner you set up for me."

Ayame rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, but walked at his side, the smile still on her face. She elbowed him in the side, laughing to herself when he elbowed her back. Business as usual.

* * *

_Nine years ago…_

Ayame smiled as she smoothed out her new uniform and hung it up on her door. She hurried outside and placed a hand on her grandfather's shoulder as he read the paper. "Jii-chan, I'll just be going upstairs for a little bit."

"Dinner will be when it always is. Feel free to invite Inuyasha. We should celebrate the two of you getting into a good high school together."

Waving a hand behind her as she closed the door to signify she heard him, Ayame leapt up the three floors that separated her and the Takados' apartments. She rapped her knuckles lightly against the front door like she usually did. The door swung open as she hit it. Tentatively peeking her head in, Ayame froze on the spot, her mouth dropping.

The Takados' usual modest but tasteful furniture was gone and in its place were large cardboard boxes, many of them already sealed.

Izayoi walked out of the kitchen with a pile of dishes, putting them into an open box and brushing her hands on her jeans afterwards before she looked up and noticed the young wolf youkai standing in the threshold. She smiled kindly at her.

"Oh Ayame, I thought I heard something. Come on in. Inuyasha's just gone out to get some more packing boxes but he should be back soon. I think I still have some tableware in the cabinets if you want something to drink."

"No thank you, Takado-san," Ayame replied numbly.

Izayoi frowned at her. "Are you sure you're alright, Ayame?"

"You're moving?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Izayoi's frown deepened. "You mean Inuyasha didn't tell you?"

Ayame shook her head and Izayoi held a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe that boy."

"Mom! Where do you want me to put these boxes?" Inuyasha walked in with a bunch of flattened boxes in his arms and his voice died as he walked in. "Oh shit."

"Language, Inuyasha. But you're right." Izayoi sighed and shook her head. "Are you telling me that you never told Ayame we're moving?"

His ears drooping, Inuyasha purposefully avoided looking at his childhood friend. "I meant to, but with all the packing and… I was hanging out with the guys a lot recently since they knew…"

Ayame held back a sob and ran out of the apartment. Izayoi scowled at Inuyasha and took the boxes from him.

"I think you owe her an explanation and an apology."

"Yeah, I know. I just… I didn't want to have to tell her."

Sighing, Izayoi put a hand to Inuyasha's cheek. "Inuyasha, I know that you didn't want to hurt her, but unfortunately, it ended up that way by you not telling her. Now go fix it. You two have been best friends for nearly a decade."

Inuyasha nodded and followed after Ayame, frowning at the fresh scent of tears. He followed her to their old elementary school playground, sitting in a swing, her head bowed.

"Not now, Inuyasha," she sniffled.

"Look, Ayame—"

"I said not now, you baka!"

"Well I owe you an explanation so you're gonna listen whether you want to or not!" Inuyasha plopped down in the swing next to her.

"You know my old man died… and that hag of his refuses to give us what he left us. We're not exactly in the best financial situation… Mom was worried she wouldn't be able to pay tuition so she started looking for a second job. I told her I'd start working but she didn't want me to… She ended up getting this awesome opportunity at some big shot law firm closer to the city. Her boss even got the admissions departments of some fancy high schools to take a look at my scores… He said even if I didn't get in, he'd try and help out with tuition to whatever school I wanted to go to."

Ayame lifted her head to look at him. "So we could still go to school together?"

Inuyasha winced and Ayame lowered her head once more. "I got into Horikoshi Gakuen…"

"Horikoshi?" Ayame echoed incredulously. "The most elite, expensive high school in Japan?"

Inuyasha shrugged, kicking his feet against the dirt beneath the swing.

"And you're moving near there?"

Inuyasha nodded.

Ayame blinked. "Wow. Nakano isn't a bad neighborhood at all. Of course you'd live there, that's where the school is…" She smiled weakly at him. "That's great, Inuyasha, really. I'm just… really sad that we won't be going to school together like we thought we would, you know?"

"Keh! I don't give a fuck if I'm going to Horikoshi," he said with disdain. "I only decided to go there because I know it'd make my mom happy. I know I'm gonna end up hating it there anyway. Nothing but a bunch of prissy, rich, spoiled brats. Apparently my mom's boss has a kid around my age who's going there. Have to go to some bullshit company picnic this weekend and meet them."

"Sounds exciting."

"Like hell it is. I'll come around after school and on weekends, you know. Hang out with you guys."

"You promise?

Inuyasha nodded, his gold eyes glinting in the orange hues of the sunset. "Yeah."

…

Ayame pouted as she stood outside the arcade, checking the time on her watch. "He's late again…"

She turned as she finally registered Inuyasha's scent as he came running.

"Sorry, Ayame, I got held up talking with some people after school."

She smiled at him. "It's fine. So where did you want to go?"

"You hungry? We can just grab a quick bite and talk."

After nodding her acquiescence, Inuyasha and she settled down at a booth at a nearby café, having stilted conversation as their order came.

"So how's the new school?"

Quickly swallowing the large bite he took, Inuyasha nodded enthusiastically. "It's great. Sure, there are a bunch of bastards who need a good ass kicking, but I managed to find a good crowd of people to hang out with. Also might join one of the martial arts club."

"You would."

Inuyasha smirked at her before taking another bite of his food.

"Tell me about your friends."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't really know a lot of them that well yet… But there is this one girl… she's the daughter of my mom's boss. The one I met during that picnic a while back? Remember?" Before Ayame could answer, Inuyasha kept going, "She's… she's really different, you know? It's weird, we argue all the time but… I kind of like it. Feels natural."

He didn't notice how Ayame's face fell or how she sat back in the booth, staring down at her untouched food. "Natural?" she echoed.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, sometimes she gets on my nerves, but when I think about it, I don't really mind. She's really pretty and smart, except with math but I mean, I offered to help her. And she's so… nice. I don't know. And I know I can trust her. She has the kind of personality that you just gravitate to."

Ayame looked up at him and sighed at the preoccupied, wistful look on the hanyou's face.

"You must really like her."

Inuyasha snapped out of his trance and he blushed. "Are you kidding? Like hell!" He began to dig into his food again. "How about you, Ayame? How's school? Is Ryo still being a dick to everyone? He's one reason why I'm glad I'm going to a different high school."

A smile growing on her face, Ayame nodded. "Same as always."

…

"Inuyasha, I don't know where you get off thinking you can just blow me off _again_, but it's ridiculous! It's been weeks since I've last seen you and I can't remember the last time you returned a phone call. You promised, _swore_, that you'd hang out with me today."

Ayame snapped her phone shut, fighting the urge to crush it in her fist. She looked around and groaned before trudging towards the train station that would bring her home. She rounded the corner and came to an abrupt stop.

Across the street and a few blocks away, there was an otherwise ordinary group of high school students walking as they made their way home from school. No, the thing that stopped her was the tall, lean, white-haired hanyou with doggy ears perched on the top of his head that was with them. Ayame glanced at his friends. Among the group, aside from Inuyasha, there were two other boys and two girls. They were all human, save for one of the boys. She raised an eyebrow; he was also wolf youkai.

Her acute hearing picked up on some of their conversation.

"Miroku, you're going to end up regretting that decision, I swear," one of the girls said. "That girl is nothing but a slut and everyone knows it."

The youkai guffawed. "That's probably why he's going with her."

"Sango, are you sure that you're not just jealous that I didn't ask you to the dance?" asked Miroku.

The brown-haired girl scoffed, at odds with the pink flush on her cheeks. "Of course not! Besides, I'm going with someone else."

Inuyasha snorted. "Who, Kohaku? Little brothers don't count."

"Inuyasha! Quit being so rude!" The petite raven-haired girl smacked him on the shoulder. She smiled at the girl called Sango. "No, I heard that Kuranosuke-kun asked her. He's always had the biggest crush on her. Doesn't he, Sango?"

Sango flushed and ducked her head. "I don't know about that…"

Miroku widened his amethyst eyes. "You're going to the dance with Runny-Nose?" he asked accusatorily.

"What about it? He's nice to me and he doesn't reach for my butt every minute!" Sango swatted at his hand before slowing her pace so that she walked behind him. "What about you, Kagome? I heard that Hojo's planning on asking you."

"He really doesn't know how to take a hint, does he?" she asked exasperatedly. "I'm really just not interested in him."

The wolf youkai wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'll teach him a lesson for trying to take my girl to the dance."

Kagome rolled her eyes at him but before she could say anything Inuyasha roughly pushed him away and growled, "What did I tell you about pulling that kind of shit?"

The youkai laughed good-naturedly. "Quit being so serious, Inuyasha. We all know that no one's allowed to touch Kagome if you're around."

Miroku piped up, "Wait, Inuyasha, are you telling me that you haven't even asked your own girlfriend to the dance?"

Folding his arms across his chest, Inuyasha grumbled, "I thought it was already understood that I was taking her."

Kagome winked at Miroku and commented offhandedly, "I don't know, some effort would have been appreciated."

Growling playfully, Inuyasha hugged Kagome from behind and nuzzled her ear. "Kagome," he whined. "You know I don't do things like that."

Sighing dramatically, Kagome reached up to tweak one of his ears. "I know. Romance is one of the things I sacrificed when I agreed to be your girlfriend."

"Oi!"

The rest of the group burst out laughing but Ayame had already run away, running and making it back home even faster than the train would have taken her. She didn't hear the end of the conversation.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'm meeting one of my friends from junior high school and I'm already late. She's gonna bite my head off."

He waved as the rest of the group gave him a chorus of goodbyes, except for Kagome. She smiled at him and tip toed to kiss him on the cheek.

"See you later?"

"Yeah, I should introduce you to my friend if she's not too busy."

"I'd like that." Kagome's smile softened. "I love you."

Inuyasha kissed the crown of her head, murmuring, "I love you, too," before rounding the corner to where he had agreed to meet Ayame. He frowned at her absence.

"She's not usually late… I should try calling her… shit." Making a face at the missed calls showing on his screen, Inuyasha dialed her phone, grumbling, "She knows I keep my phone on silent because I hate the ringer. Now she won't even pick up… damn mood swings." Staring at the phone in his hands, he resolved, "I'll call her back tonight and grovel for an apology."

Ayame rushed through her front door, hoping to avoid seeing her grandfather before running into her bedroom and closing the door behind her. It wasn't long before her grandfather quietly entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed, gently putting his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Ayame?"

"It's nothing, jii-chan. It's dumb."

"It can't be that dumb if it's making you so upset."

Ayame slowly sat up and looked up at her grandfather, noting the fatigue and age showing in his face. She reached forward and hugged him. "I think Inuyasha's forgotten about me. I saw him with… with his new friends and his girlfriend and…"

"Ayame, I'm sure he hasn't forgotten you. He's just caught up in all the new aspects of his life." He took a deep breath. "On the other hand, I hate to tell you this, but some things just aren't meant to be. You two will always have a special place in each others' hearts as childhood friends, but as much as I ache for your heartache, I want you to realize you can't begrudge Inuyasha for his own feelings."

Nodding slowly, Ayame turned to her grandfather. "I understand, jii-chan."

"Maybe him moving away was a good thing. You can focus on your studies and maybe meet some other boys. You have all the time in the world."

"You're right," she sniffled. She pulled away and gave her grandfather a teary smile. "I'm sure I'll find my mate someday. Until then, I just have to focus on my future. Just you wait, jii-chan. I'm gonna get a good job and buy you all of the tea you could ever want and a house with a little garden you can look at through your bedroom window."

"I don't doubt it," he replied with a smile. "I'll go get you some tea."

He exited her room quietly and Ayame jumped at the buzzing from her phone on her desk. She glanced at the screen and her fingers trembling, rejected the call.

* * *

_Five years ago…_

The air was thick and foggy with smoke and the body heat crowding the small house. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in disdain and fought the urge to hightail it out of there. He snorted indelicately to try and get the smoke the strong smell out of his nostrils, but the action only made it worse, the triangular ears on top of his head flicking restlessly.

"Miroku, this is the last fucking time I let you decide how we spend our Friday night," he growled in Miroku's ear to be heard over the music and din of jumbled conversation. Inuyasha took the shot someone handed him and downed it.

Ignoring his threat, Miroku laughed boisterously and clapped Inuyasha in the back, already feeling the effects of the current drink in his hand— not his first, second, or even third— and whatever was being smoked, its potency increased by the humid, hazy atmosphere.

"Come on, Inuyasha! We're young and attractive! What else are we supposed to be doing on a Friday night?"

Snorting, then immediately regretting it since he was then overcome by the smell of burning incense, cigarette smoke, and marijuana and whatever else people were burning, Inuyasha pointed out, "I could've been curled up in bed with Kagome, ignoring whatever movie she put on."

Miroku made a face. "But you two do that all the time. You can survive one night apart. I don't know if you two have done that in the past four years that we've known each other."

Inuyasha slapped the back of Miroku's head, ignoring his best friend's glare. "Idiot. Of course we have. Just don't know why you couldn't drag someone else out to this shitty party instead. It's not like you don't have loser friends with nothing better to do."

Shaking his hands free of the liquor that spilled when Inuyasha hit him, Miroku replied offhandedly, "Maybe they're having their chance to woo Kagome." His comment earned him a fist to the back of the head. "Hey! Quit it, Inuyasha. Kill too many brain cells and I won't be able to pass my medical board exams next year."

"Be doing all of Tokyo a favor if you ask me," Inuyasha retorted.

"Hey, being a successful doctor is my only chance of finally winning over Sango."

"She's too good for you," he muttered bluntly.

Shrugging, Miroku chuckled, "Probably. Doesn't mean I won't try making up for it for the rest of my life if she'll have me."

Inuyasha ignored him and shifted his weight and crossed his arms uncomfortably, his eyes squinting as he glared around the room, his vision becoming blurry. Whether from the smoke or his own eyes, he wasn't exactly sure. Miroku raised an eyebrow at him.

"This is really uncomfortable for you, isn't it?"

"No shit. You think it's bad enough with you smelling all of this shit. _I'm_ smelling it and taking in a lot more than you."

Miroku couldn't help but laugh. "Oh god, is it gonna be like that time we tried out that alcohol vaporizer and made a sake cloud? I don't think any of us have ever seen you so drunk…"

"Shut up. I can still _drink_ you under the table." Inuyasha winced as his headache worsened. "Speaking of which…" he reached over to a table with prepared shot glasses and downed two in quick succession.

"That'll only make your hangover worse tomorrow morning."

"Keh! That's assuming if I even get one."

"I wouldn't be so arrogant, Inuyasha, if you ask me, you're starting to look a little drunk."

"Ain't the alcohol."

"Maybe. But it's probably the cloud of whatever people are smoking. Your eyes are red, Inuyasha."

"Fuck." Inuyasha winced once more as he felt the cloud in his head thicken. His senses were dulling, the thickness of the air in the house permeating into the edges of his mind. "Shit, maybe you're right."

"Come on, let's sit outside."

"Load of help that'll do me now," Inuyasha grumbled. He reached for another shot, hoping the quick burn down his throat would clear the haziness. It didn't.

Miroku pulled at Inuyasha's arm. "Come on. We should probably get out and get some fresh air."

Blinking his eyes rapidly, Inuyasha nodded. "For once, you have the right idea, Miroku."

The duo made their way to the door when Inuyasha vaguely registered someone calling his name, although it sounded like it was from kilometers away, and not in his hanyou form, but as if he were human. He groaned, his regret at agreeing to go with Miroku increasing hundredfold. He ignored the voice and kept walking.

"Remind me tomorrow to kill you for convincing me to go with you," he hissed.

"If I'm not already dead from my hangover," Miroku replied happily enough. Inuyasha fought the urge to hit him again.

A hand on Inuyasha's shoulder made him stop and jerk away, ready to beat down whoever tried touching him, inebriated or not. "Hey, asshole, keep your hands off me!" He looked at who tried to pick a fight with him and froze, his mouth dropping.

"Well is that anyway way to greet me after four years?" Ayame teased. She looked more closely at Inuyasha and frowned. "Are you alright?"

"How the _fuck_ are you not messed up like I am?"

"Vicks VapoRub® on my nose to block the smell," she said plainly. "I've also taken to not breathing," she joked.

Miroku pushed his way in front of Inuyasha. "How ingenious. Inuyasha, how could you possibly know this beautiful, intelligent woman?"

Ayame raised an eyebrow and shared a look with one of her friends by her side. "Lays it on thick, doesn't he?" she commented to Inuyasha.

Miroku waggled his eyebrows and grinned indulgently. "As thick as you'd like."

Inuyasha groaned and putting his palm on Miroku's face, pushed him away from Ayame and her friend. "Fucking pervert."

Ayame laughed it off. "Come on, why don't we get out of here. You don't look too well."

Taking one of Inuyasha's arms over her shoulder, she waited for Miroku to grab the other one. When she looked behind her, she raised an eyebrow at him chatting up her friend. She laughed.

Inuyasha growled, "Piece-of-shit-best-friend."

She turned back at him and stared at his profile. "Well you filled out well over the years," she noted.

Inuyasha looked back at her and if it weren't for the fact that he was simultaneously drunk and high, Ayame might have thought he was blushing like he used to whenever she teased him. She laughed nervously.

"Come on, I'll take you back home; you're not in any condition to get home by yourself and it seems like your friend is otherwise occupied."

Inuyasha looked back and saw Ayame's friend laughing at what Inuyasha was sure was one of Miroku's cheesy, overdone pick up lines.

"You're sure she can handle herself?"

"Oh yeah. She's just humoring your friend." She grunted. "Ugh! Come on, Inuyasha, just make it to my car. Don't tell me this is your first time drunk?

"Drunk? Hell no. But I don't know what that fucking cloud of whatever they're smoking is doing to me."

Ayame sighed. "Tell me about it, the first time I tried marijuana, I wanted to puke. The beauty of being human, I guess."

Scoffing, Inuyasha groaned afterwards as a wave of dizziness passed through him. "I can't imagine you doing anything remotely improper. What would your poor grandfather say?"

"Thankfully, he'll never have to find out. Unless he's listening in, of course."

"What? He's hiding in the bushes or something?"

A sad smile appeared on her lips. "No. From above," she said simply.

Inuyasha froze and Ayame stumbled. "Ayame, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," she reassured him, "He wanted to be with baa-chan again. And I was all grown up. In the few weeks before he died, I could tell he was _tired_, you know? I told him that I would be okay. I want him to be happy with his mate."

Helping Inuyasha into the car, Ayame made it to the driver's side, starting the engine and beginning to drive. "Where to? Oh Inuyasha…"

The hanyou was close to falling asleep or passing out, Ayame wasn't sure which. Her emerald eyes widened when the hanyou started dry heaving. She immediately braked and Inuyasha nearly tore off the car door before he ran to the side of the road to vomit. Rushing out of the car, Ayame sighed and watched Inuyasha, pity evident in her expression as he groaned and held his head in his hands.

"I'm gonna fucking kill Miroku," he muttered. Even after vomiting, the fog still hadn't cleared in his head.

"Not in this state, you're not. Come on, I'll take you to my place to get cleaned up."

"No, it's fine Ayame. I'll be fine as soon as I get home an shower and wash my mouth out."

"I'd feel better if you had someone to watch you."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha countered, "I could call…" he glanced at his watch. "Fuck, it's _that_ late?"

Shrugging, Ayame remarked, "Or early, depending on your interpretation."

"I don't want to wake her up," he murmured, more to himself.

Raising an eyebrow, Ayame guessed, "Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah…"

Ayame nodded back at the car. "Get in the car. If you don't want to wake her up, you're crashing on my couch until you sober up or until you're not high anymore."

"It's fine—"

"Would I be able to convince you if I told you I'd make ramen for you?"

Narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously, Inuyasha slowly got into the car, bristling at Ayame's laughter.

"You haven't changed at all, Inuyasha."

"I guess I could say the same about you."

"We're only young and naïve still."

He snorted and the rest of the drive continued in silence. Ayame pulled up to a modest looking apartment building. Shutting the car door behind him, wincing as the soft thud sounded like cannons bursting in his ears, Inuyasha followed Ayame to her apartment.

"You're obviously in university."

Rolling her eyes, Ayame retorted sarcastically, "Obviously."

"So tell me why you're not dorming."

"It's cheaper," she replied as though it were obvious. "You're dorming?"

"Yeah. That baka is my roommate."

"Ah, the touchy-feely one."

As she opened her front door, Ayame immediately showed Inuyasha to the bathroom. "Wash up if you want. As much as you might want to, I recommend not digging through my medicine cabinet for pain relievers."

"Keh! What are you, my doctor?"

"No, but I might be your nurse in the near future," she quipped before she disappeared in the direction of what appeared to be her bedroom.

Inuyasha called out, "Like I'll ever need to see a doctor."

"Not willingly, you wouldn't."

"Damn right."

After washing his face with cold water and rinsing his mouth out with mouthwash. He came out and found Ayame, dressed in pajamas, fixing the sofa up with blankets and pillows.

"Ayame, you didn't need to do that. I would've been fine on the floor."

"Shut up. You know there's no chance of that happening. I made you some tea."

Inuyasha made a face. "No thanks."

"Baka. Drink it."

"I feel better," he lied.

"That's not what your eyes are telling me; they're still bloodshot. And you're looking a little wobbly standing there."

"I told you— I'm fine—oomph!" Inuyasha glared at her after the pillow bounced off of his face.

"Yeah. You're fine. Great reflexes," she said sarcastically. "Sleep. I'll drop you off in the morning but I need some sleep."

"Wait, Ayame." Inuyasha scrutinized her. "Why did you stop talking to me?"

Ayame blinked, obviously not expecting Inuyasha's question. "I don't know, Inuyasha. It seemed like I stopped being a priority for you and as much as I understand that things were changing for you, I didn't appreciate putting in all the effort into the friendship without any input from you."

"Kami, you make it sound like we were dating or something."

Glaring at him, Ayame, yelled, "We grew up together, Inuyasha! We were each other's best friends and then all of a sudden, as soon as you go off to a fancy new school with rich friends and pretty girlfriends, I get left behind! And I was the one who was there by your side for ten years, listening to you yell about your father or to save your ass when you did stupid shit like pick fights or ditch school!"

"I was fifteen fucking years old, Ayame. I barely have a grasp on how to balance myself now and I sure as hell didn't have a clue four years ago. I've always been there for you, too, in case you don't fucking remember! Who beat up all of those bastards who hurt your feelings or broke your heart?"

In tears now, Ayame yelled back, "You're the one who shattered it! Do you have any idea how _lonely_ I felt? And then that last day, I was going to leave and blow you off, but then I turn the corner and there you were with your new friends and girlfriend."

Inuyasha pulled up short, shock evident in his expression. "I… Ayame, I know I screwed up a lot during the first few months, but that day, I was going to meet you. When I showed up, you were gone and when I called and called you never picked up."

His headache seemed to be exacerbated by the emotional stress in the room and the fogginess still hadn't completely left Inuyasha.

Advancing towards him accusingly, she yelled, "Baka! You didn't come after me."

Shaking his head in an effort to clear his head, Inuyasha retorted, "How was I supposed to know that you wanted me to, Ayame?"

"Because of _this_."

Ayame reached up, her hands entangling themselves in Inuyasha's hair and her body pressed against his as she kissed him. Inuyasha froze, his eyes wide and his hands feeling like lead at his sides. He didn't know whether to push her off or just run. She pushed him back against the apartment wall and Inuyasha's legs numbly followed. Soon, he felt her hands travel under his shirt and her touch was enough for Inuyasha to be shaken out of his stupor and jump away from her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he roared.

"Inuyasha… I didn't meant for that to… I'm so sorry."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Inuyasha, I—"

"You _know_ I'm in a committed relationship!"

"—so sorry," Ayame gasped.

Running a hand through his hair, Inuyasha turned and made his way out of the apartment. "I can't… I need to get out of here… I need to talk to Kagome."

"Kagome? The girl from four years ago? You're still dating her?"

"Does that fucking make a difference?"

"You're going to wake her up at four in the morning over this?"

"I need to tell her."

"Inuyasha!"

"Not now, Ayame."

"No, Inuyasha, wait. I'm… I'm really sorry."

Inuyasha stopped and looked back at her, nodding his acknowledgement before closing the door behind him, leaving Ayame to cradle her head in her hands and cry.

…

'_What the fuck have I done? What the _fuck_ have I done?'_

Having been walking through the desolate streets of Tokyo for nearly three hours now, Inuyasha settled on wandering through the paths of Shinjuku Central Park before he plopped down onto a bench, bent over with his hands clasped behind his neck.

"Fuck!" he cursed.

'_I don't even know how I'm going to tell her. But I have to. She deserves that much from me, right? But… that'll be it, won't it?'_

The realization nearly brought Inuyasha to his knees, the feeling akin to a hand through his chest and squeezing his heart. He surprised himself with the sensation of saltwater trailing down his cheeks and he grimaced.

'_I've really lost her, haven't I?'_

In a matter of seconds, all of Inuyasha's imaginations and entertained thoughts concerning Kagome flashed through his mind. The looked of elation on her face for when he finally planned to propose to her. How Kagome would look on their wedding day, walking towards him, looking beautiful and glowing. Kagome moaning and whispering his name amidst heated kisses and caresses. The look of her swollen, distended belly as she walked around their home, her belly full of his child— their child. Her distorted face as she yelled at him in anger during childbirth and the tears in her honey brown eyes as they first gazed at their firstborn, the tiny triangular ears twitching on the top of his or her head. Growing old and living ridiculously long lives until centuries, perhaps even dozens of centuries later, when they were finally old enough to fall asleep together peacefully for the last time.

The sun began its lazy crawl across the sky, igniting the sky with a fiery hue of pink and orange before it tempered to a pearly grey. Inuyasha had gotten to his feet countless times to make his way to Kagome's apartment but the ache in his chest slammed into him every time and he had to sit down again.

He grit his teeth. "Just do it, you fucking coward."

Closing his eyes, he thought of Kagome's gentle smile and that was enough incentive for him to make the agonizing walk to her apartment. He stayed outside of her door, knowing that she'd quickly kick him out anyway. With a shuddering breath, Inuyasha rang the doorbell.

The seconds were centuries of pure agony for him. When the door finally opened, she greeted him with a smile, reaching for him before making a face, her nose wrinkling. "Oh god you reek", she laughed. "Did you just get home? What the hell did you and Miroku do last night?"

Kagome began walking away from the door, expecting him to follow her inside. When he didn't she turned around and laughed again. "Inuyasha? I was just joking, you don't smell _that_ bad. If you really feel self conscious about it, you know you're more than welcome to take a shower."

Inuyasha's mouth dried up. Whether it was from the alcohol or drugs or the rising panic, he wasn't sure.

Kagome's smile fell, her face frowning in confusion at his silence. "Inuyasha? What's going on? Why are you looking at me like that? H-have you been crying?"

"Kagome…"

"Oh Kami… what happened last night? Are you okay?" She rushed to him and looked him over. "Where's Miroku? Is he okay?"

"I… I don't know," he said truthfully. "I'm pretty sure he's fine, though."

Blinking at him in confusion, Kagome asked, "What exactly did you do then?"

He took a deep breath. "That fucking party Miroku took me to… they were smoking something and it messed with me and I started getting sick…"

"But you're okay?"

"Now I am, but a few hours ago… and then someone offered to take me home but I nearly puked in her car—"

Kagome tenderly put a hand on his cheek. "Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha relished her touch, pressing against her palm before he gently pulled it away from him, grasping it in his hand. "You're going to hate me, Kagome," he whispered, his voice harsh.

"Hate you?" Her gaze was concerned and Inuyasha felt himself shaking before he finally told her.

"I couldn't… she said I could crash on her couch and then before I knew it…"

Realization dawned on her face, shortly followed by hurt and betrayal. Kagome's sharp intake of breath was like a blow to his chest. She pulled her hand away from his, cradling it against her chest. Raising an eyebrow at him, she swallowed and asked slowly, carefully, "Inuyasha, what exactly did you do?"

"Does it really matter?" he asked sadly.

His response seemed to be like a slap in the face to her. She scoffed and replied, "No… no I guess it doesn't." When Inuyasha reached out for her, she backed away from him, "No!" Tears were quickly gathering and threatening to spill over. "If you're not even willing to _talk_ about this with me then I guess it doesn't matter. _Nothing_ matters, Inuyasha, except that you… you betrayed me," she gasped.

"Wait, Kagome, you need to know—"

Kagome quickly grabbed a set of keys and her phone before she closed the door behind her, hurrying down the steps.

"Kagome!"

"Inuyasha, please just let me try to process this right now. I… I need to be alone for now."

"Kagome, I need to know. Do… do you hate me?"

Freezing on the steps, Kagome looked back up at him, her eyes glassy. "I…" Shaking her head, she told him, "I don't think so."

"Do you still love me?" he asked desperately.

"I want to say yes…" she whispered. "But I really can't stand to be near you right now, Inuyasha, and I don't want to say something I'll regret."

Inuyasha watched her run to her car, his heart breaking as he saw her wipe tears from her eyes before she pulled away.

'_She's never going to forgive me.'_

Turning his gaze towards the sky, Inuyasha's resolve strengthened. _'I don't ever want to be a reminder of pain for her…'_

…

Sango sympathetically rubbed Kagome's back as her best friend cried into her shoulder.

"I swear, I'm going to fucking kill Miroku for dragging Inuyasha to that party."

Kagome lifted her head, sniffling. "It's not his fault, Sango. He's not the one who forced Inuyasha to cheat."

"Kagome, he should have known better than to bring Inuyasha, especially when it sounds like something was smoked, based on what you told me Inuyasha smelled like. You and I both know, Inuyasha's especially susceptible."

Shaking her head, Kagome countered, "But you can't just let something like that happen unless somewhere deep down inside, you _want_ it to."

Sango sighed. "You can crash here for the next few days. I don't want you by yourself. Just have a few days to clear your head and think about things, but _talk to Inuyasha_, Kagome. He loves you."

"I know… which makes everything so much harder." She took a deep breath. "But I'm going to talk to him and try to work past this…"

…

Kagome frowned at the door and tried knocking again to no response. She was about to turn when she nearly bumped into Miroku. He looked at her with wide, apologetic eyes and before Kagome could say anything, he blurted out, "Kagome, I'm so sorry I took Inuyasha to that party and I knew he was starting lose coherency, but then there was a pretty girl and someone said she could help get Inuyasha home. Kagome, this never would have happened if I hadn't—"

"Miroku. Stop. What's done is done so can you please just open your door? Inuyasha's ignoring me."

Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha's not here."

"Do you know where he is? I need to talk to him."

"Kagome, I thought you two had broken up."

"What? No, I don't— I don't _think_ we did. Is that what Inuyasha thought?"

"I don't know, he didn't say anything to me. But Kagome, he left."

"Left?" she echoed numbly.

"About two days ago. He flew to America. I thought it was because the two of you had broken up."

"America…"

Kagome ignored Miroku calling after her and ran again, fighting the urge to break down in the dormitory. _'So he just decided to give up and run away instead…'_

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

**Mika:** Welcome back! I just looked back and saw you were the first ever reviewer for this story. You hold a very special place in my heart lol. I hope I haven't freaked you out just now and thank you so much for your kind words!

**RiceBallMaker94:** Lol full blast? We're not even close to full blast yet! The capacity for drama is infinite mwahahaha! Thanks for reviewing.

**vampireinu95:** Yes, as you can see now, it _was_ Ayame haha. Crack pairings. Going somewhere no one's ever gone before. All for that. Writing's about letting your imagination doing crazy shit :P

Yeah I know. I kind of made everyone go "EUGHHH?!" because I chose to have Ayame to be the one Inuyasha cheated with. I guess I could further explain myself… Plain and simple, I'm honestly just sick of seeing Kikyo lol. I realize that she is an integral part of the Inuyasha/Kagome relationship.. in canon. This is, technically, a world and universe of my creation where I happen to use someone else's characters. Furthermore, I chose not to include all of them out of preference. And in fitting in with the storyline, Inuyasha's childhood was very… he was not one of the fortunate class, to say the least. Yes, he and his mother were able to climb up in social standings (see: chapter two) but they came from the bottom. Now say whatever you want about Kikyo, but even though I don't personally care for her, I am extremely bothered when other stories paint her as a dumb, money-seeking whore. She's not. She's an educated, proper lady (who kind of went batshit crazy in the beginning, but I digress). I don't see how her path would have crossed with Inuyasha's here if I had chosen to include her. Now Ayame on the other hand… I saw her as someone who could empathize with this situation because it was the same one she's in… if I put her there. (Yes, I'm aware she's the granddaughter of a wolf chief tribe thingy in the anime, but since there's not a lot of background on her character, I consider her a blank slate for me to decorate.)

But you guys have taken the crack pairing in stride and were game to see where it came from and I am so relieved-slash-thankful to have an awesome audience. So this long blurb is my overdue show of appreciation for all of you who not only take the time out of your (I'm sure) super busy lives to read my crazy story but are also so supportive and patient of and with me. Thank you :)

I'm slightly worried that I made Inuyasha out to look like a bit of an asshole with the way he treated Ayame when they were younger, but I mean he was what fifteen? He's more oblivious than malicious. And he's not exactly the most suave when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex. We can cut him some slack right?

Also, I know I kind of postponed Kagome's reaction but I felt like I really needed to get this out there since a lot of you were curious as to what happened and I think it's an important back-story. For some, that may not have been enough to constitute a break-up, but personally, I would have if I were in Kagome's place. And even though Kagome stood by to see Inuyasha kiss Kikyo twice in the series, they (she and Inuyasha) weren't_ "technically_" together then.

PS- I recommend that everyone listen to the song this chapter was inspired by/named after. Search for the slow version if possible.

PPS- NPB is Japan's official baseball association, fyi.


	7. Just Give Me a Reason

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything else not a figment of my imagination.**

Chapter 7: Just Give Me A Reason

* * *

**Summary: **Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school and university, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless cup of coffee when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

* * *

_Last Time… (Five Years Ago)_

_Kagome frowned at the door and tried knocking again to no response. She was about to turn when she nearly bumped into Miroku. He looked at her with wide, apologetic eyes and before Kagome could say anything, he blurted out, "Kagome, I'm so sorry I took Inuyasha to that party and I knew he was starting lose coherency, but then there was a pretty girl and someone said she could help get Inuyasha home. Kagome, this never would have happened if I hadn't—"_

_"Miroku. Stop. What's done is done so can you please just open your door? Inuyasha's ignoring me."_

_Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha's not here."_

_"Do you know where he is? I need to talk to him."_

_"Kagome, I thought you two had broken up."_

_"What? No, I don't— I don't_think_we did. Is that what Inuyasha thought?"_

_"I don't know, he didn't say anything to me. But Kagome, he left."_

_"Left?" she echoed numbly._

_"About two days ago. He flew to America. I thought it was because the two of you had broken up."_

_"America…"_

_Kagome ignored Miroku calling after her and ran again, fighting the urge to break down in the dormitory._'So he just decided to give up and run away instead_…'_

* * *

Ayame hurriedly knelt down to the floor to gather all of the papers she dropped, messily piling them up on top of her clipboard. She straightened up and busied herself with reorganizing the file. "I'm such an idiot. Everything's ruined now. Let me print you a new copy of the paperwork." Ayame turned briefly as she hurried through the door, directing her gaze at Kagome. "I'm so sorry, Kagome," she said earnestly.

Kagome numbly stared back, unable to do anything and Ayame quickly exited, but not before everyone saw her grimace and the redness in her cheeks. Kagome put a shaky hand to her forehead, closing her eyes and reaching behind her for the armchair before Miroku helped her sit down. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You work with her?" she asked quietly, her eyes quickly darting over to Kouga. He looked over at them in concern but it seemed as if he couldn't hear.

"I had no idea. I just met her tonight, Kagome. I swear to you. And I didn't remember her from a drunken night five years ago. To be honest, I didn't pay her much mind back then since I was more interested in her friend," he whispered back quickly. "But I have to ask, are you okay right now?"

Miroku's amethyst eyes were wide with worry but stared at her with such intensity, Kagome was confused as to why until she noticed her shaking hands and the cold sweat she felt on the nape of her neck. Miroku's fingers were wrapped intentionally over her wrist, stealthily monitoring her pulse.

"I'm fine… a little shell shocked, but I'll be okay. I just want information about my father." Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I just want to focus on my father," she reiterated loudly.

Nodding, Miroku let go of her wrist to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I took a look at his file. His injuries are extensive and he's going to have a long stay here. He's stable and there's not much else we can do right now so the best thing for _you_ is to go home and get some sleep. It's been a long night."

Standing up, the two shared a quick embrace. When Kagome let go, she asked, "What about the paperwork?"

Souta stepped forward. "I'll take care of it." He shook his head at her objection. "C'mon, sis. I'm already legally considered an adult. You of all people should acknowledge that by now."

Kouga agreed, "Yeah, Kagome. Souta can handle signing a couple of papers. I'm sure Miroku will make sure he doesn't sign anything he's not supposed to. You're dead on your feet right now." He crossed the room towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. I'll call Chiyo and let her know what's happened. Don't worry about work, okay?"

Kagome looked up at her husband and smiled weakly. Touching her palm softly to his cheek, she acquiesced. "Okay," she whispered before kissing him quickly. Disengaging from his hold, Kagome leaned over her father's sleeping form, tenderly holding his hand and kissing his cheek. "I'll be back soon, Papa."

Once more taking her in his arms, Kouga and Kagome left the room after she bid good night to Souta and Miroku. As they neared Inuyasha, who hovered uncomfortably near the door, Kouga clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Hey, you need to get some rest, too. That rib's gonna be nasty to deal with if you don't sleep it off."

Inuyasha blinked before retorting, "Keh! I can take care of myself. You worry about your family, wolf."

Kouga chuckled good naturedly before waving him a quick salute and leaving with Kagome. As Inuyasha watched them leave, Kagome said nothing but glanced at him once. Her usually easy-to-read eyes were guarded and cold. He tried to silently plead with her, beg for her to understand, but she turned back around and instead moved closer to Kouga, trying to hide her head against his chest. It wasn't long after that the scent of her tears wafted into the air. Inuyasha clenched his fists and grit his teeth in frustration.

"I wonder what got into nee-chan…" Souta wondered aloud.

Inuyasha and Miroku both turned to him, bemused. "You mean you don't know?" Miroku asked carefully.

"No, I mean that was pretty sudden wasn't it? And the nurse practically ran out of here. I don't get it. She seemed like she got spooked by something. You sure you didn't sleep with her and not call her back, Miroku?"

In any other situation, Inuyasha would have been laughing his ass off, especially at Miroku's reaction. The dark-haired man turned red and immediately became flustered, sputtering at Souta. Inuyasha was still surprised that Kouga and Souta were so oblivious to the exchange that had just taken place.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?"

"Huh?"

Souta stared at him, confused, before he asked again, "Don't you think it's time you went home and got some rest? I was there with the x-ray and everything. I know you're pretty banged up, even if you don't want to admit it. Come on, man. Just go home. I'll be alright here. If I need anything, I'll page Miroku."

"As if I didn't have enough things to do tonight," Miroku grumbled. "Still have rounds to do and now I have to cater to Souta."

"You're the one who signed up for the life."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You should get some sleep, too. Look, I'll let the nurses' station now that no one should bother you with any paperwork at least until tomorrow morning. Kagome will probably be back by then anyway. I'll try and steal some pillows from an empty room for you."

"Don't worry about it."

"You sure?"

"I'm used to sleeping uncomfortably. Finals and stuff."

"Okay. Night, Souta." Miroku quickly pat him on the back.

"Yeah, kid. Get some rest," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Go home, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha waved him off. Miroku left the room and Inuyasha numbly followed him until Miroku led them into an empty lounge. He turned on the light and groaned before lying down on the worn sofa. Inuyasha leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. His face was set in a deep scowl.

"What the fuck, Miroku? What were the chances of that happening?"

"You're telling me, Inuyasha. Tonight is not your fucking night." Miroku rubbed his eyes. "First you have to deal with the shit that got you landed in the hospital in the first place and then _that_?! Never been happier to not be you."

"You're a fucking load of help," Inuyasha growled. "And Souta and Kouga? They honestly didn't notice that? I'd call it bullshit, but there's no way those two can act that well."

"Well to be fair, the two of them weren't as involved with the whole… _incident_. They're not as attuned to the dynamic between the three of us, either. Souta's four years younger than us and well, we grew apart from Kouga after high school until he married Kagome." Miroku glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "You didn't hear the exchange between Kagome and me, did you?"

Inuyasha shook his head.

"Then I guess Kouga didn't either. Probably just thought I was asking her about her dizziness."

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and frowned. "She's going to be fine, right?"

"Physically… yeah. Overly fatigued, maybe, but she's fine. She's just in shock. Kagome's had a lot to deal with tonight. I can't speak to her emotional health, though. She was dealt quite a blow."

Inuyasha sighed and resisted the urge to punch the wall. "Goddamn it. The look in her eyes when she realized it… Miroku I didn't know I could hurt her like that again." Inuyasha slid down the wall, resting his elbows on his knees. "I was making so much progress with her, too."

Miroku opened an eye and glanced at his best friend. "Progress with what?" he asked sharply.

"Look, it's nothing bad. I just… if I can't… I'd rather have Kagome as a friend than not at all, okay? And I think we were actually getting to a good place." Inuyasha's ears drooped. "_Damn it_! It's like there's something in the universe that just wants to keep me away from her."

"You ever think maybe it's a sign?" Inuyasha glared at Miroku and Miroku sat up with a sigh. "Don't look at me like that, Inuyasha. Everyone knows how good you and Kagome were. We were all betting on how long it would take for you guys to get married. It was a question of 'when', not 'if', for the two of you. But you guys broke up and she's married."

"Don't you think I've already thought about that? Trust me, I've gotten too worked up over it and a couple months ago, we decided maybe it'd be better if we just weren't in each others' lives again. But that was too fucking hard and we missed each other."

"How long do you think Kagome's going to avoid you?"

Inuyasha glared at his hands. "I don't know."

Miroku's face softened, accustomed to his best friend's subtle emotional shifts— enough to know that he was hurting and worried. "Inuyasha, you should go talk to her." He ignored Inuyasha's scowl and continued, "You are the only one who knows what really happened that night. I doubt even Kagome knows the whole story. Go talk to her."

"Keh. Before or after she's done dealing with her father's near death experience? Oh by the way, that's my case. That I have to solve. With Kouga."

Miroku peered over at his watch and stood up with a stretch. "I'm still on break for another half hour. You need me to give you a lift back home?"

"You don't know where I live."

"That's what you're here for isn't it?" Miroku deadpanned.

"Don't worry about it. Try and get some sleep. I need to run."

"You probably should. And take a shower. The dried blood in your hair from your head wound isn't particularly appealing." He waved a lofty hand when Inuyasha scowled at him. "Stay safe. And drop in tomorrow so I can check on that rib."

Inuyasha brushed off his concern. "Weren't you the one who said that it'd most likely be healed in twelve hours?"

"I want to make sure it healed correctly. Otherwise, we'll have to break it again. Unless you're masochistic and want to break it again."

"Yeah, whatever. Fine. Just go to sleep, Miroku. Next time you see Sango, tell her I applaud her for staying with you this long."

Shaking his head, Miroku grinned at him but resettled on the sofa. "Turn off the lights on your way out."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha flipped the switch before leaving the lounge and making his way to the nearest staircase. Climbing to the roof, he was greeted by a brisk gust as he opened the emergency door. He breathed in the cool air and stepped to the ledge, his gold eyes shining in the darkness and unwavering as they gazed over the Tokyo skyline. Stepping backwards, Inuyasha held his breath and didn't let go until he ran forward and leapt off the edge, landing neatly onto the next rooftop before leaping once more into the air, his thoughts mercifully blank as the lights of Tokyo blurred into ribbons of color around him.

* * *

Kagome and Kouga lingered by the hospital's entrance, waiting for the car they called to pick them up. Kouga took a quick look at his wife, frowning at the traces of tears and how her eyelids were drooping and she swayed where she stood. He sighed and picked her up, Kagome immediately becoming alert.

"Kouga? What do you think you're doing?"

"You can't wait any longer for this damn cab and I'm not having my wife sleep on a sidewalk in the freezing cold."

"Kouga, put me down!"

Huffing, Kouga nevertheless put her back down and she indignantly smoothed out her clothes. "I appreciate the gesture but I don't need to be carried around like a child."

"Come on, Kagome, you need to get home and sleep. And to be honest, I really need some shuteye, too. I hate to admit it, but that damn inuyoukai got some good hits in and I really want to sleep it off."

Kagome raised her eyebrows and immediately her hands began feathering over her husband's torso, trying to figure out where he was hurt. She was about to lift the hem of his shirt when he put a gentle but firm hand over her wrists.

"Kouga, I can't believe you didn't tell me you were hurt! Why didn't you have anyone take a look at it while we were in the hospital? We made all of that fuss about Inuyasha seeing a doctor and then you didn't tell me you were hurt?"

"Calm down, it's nothing serious. And Inuyasha's a hanyou; he needs to see the doctor more than I do. I know my limits, Kagome. It's nothing— just some bumps and bruises. They'll be gone in a couple of hours."

He released her hands and gently smoothed out her forehead, rubbing away her worry lines. "I promise I'm fine, Kagome. I'm just really tired."

Kagome took one of his hands in his. "Then I guess we better start walking. The nearest station is a few blocks this way."

"Train station? Kagome, it'd be faster if I ran us home."

"You said you were tired."

"I can handle carrying you for a few miles." Kouga brushed his thick bangs out of his face and rubbed his face tiredly. "Trust me."

Kagome didn't look convinced but he nodded. "Fine." She frowned when Kouga knelt down in front of her. "What are you doing?"

"What's wrong?" Kouga looked at her from over his shoulder. "Get on."

Kagome looked between his back and his face. "Can you just carry me in your arms? I don't know if I can hold on."

Straightening up, Kouga took her shoulders, the corners of his mouth falling at the trace of hysteria in her voice. "Yeah, of course." He gently picked her up and she automatically wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Burying her head into his chest, Kagome assured him, "I just want to go home."

"Okay. Then let's go home."

As Kagome pressed herself deeper into Kouga's chest, she allowed the rhythmic swaying of his running lull her into a blissfully dreamless sleep as exhaustion had its way. When she next woke up, she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, her eyes adjusting to the darkness in her bedroom. She reached for the clock on her bedside table, nearly groaning at the glowing display.

'_It can't be three in the morning… go back to sleep, Kagome. You need more than three and a half hours of sleep or you'll die._'

Kagome rolled her eyes at herself and covered her face with her hands. _'Okay, that was a slight overreaction. Maybe I just need to walk around. Or maybe eat myself into a food coma._' She frowned. '_Souta and I left the house in such a rush after Kouga and Inuyasha ran off. The mess of plates we dropped… The _food_.'_

Turning over shoulder slowly, Kagome's face softened at her sleeping husband. Kouga's face was free of any wrinkles and the crease between his brows that usually plagued him when he was working. His mouth was slack, lips slightly parted as the rhythmic sound of his breathing seemed thunderous in the quiet bedroom. Perhaps what amused her the most, and always would, was the glossy, dark hair that spilled over his pillow and mingled with her own hair. He was never caught awake without his hair pulled up in a high ponytail. A recurring conversation they shared was Kagome teasing him for using her hair products.

She smiled gently at him, running the tips of her fingers through his hair. She stilled her hand when Kouga's breathing hitched. He grumbled and rolled towards her. Kagome quickly leaned over him to give him a small kiss on his cheek. He made a face as she pulled away but after she pressed her palm against his cheek soothingly, he relaxed and fell into a deep sleep once more.

'_He must really be exhausted._'

Kagome sighed and frowned at the thin red lines that crisscrossed against his bare torso. The discolorations— varying shades of purples, blues, and yellow— marring his skin looked much better than she expected when he initially told her he was injured. He was right, of course. The marks were well on their way towards being completely healed. They'd be gone by the time he woke up to get ready for work. Once again, Kagome found herself having to pull her hand away as she was unconsciously tracing the small scratches on his chest with her fingers.

With another sigh, Kagome carefully extricated herself from the tangle of sheets and tucked them around her husband before quietly making her way downstairs, the only sound being the quiet pats of her barefoot toes against the hardwood floor. Reaching the sliding glass doors that led to the deck, Kagome tightened her robe around her, thankful and touched that Kouga had also changed her into comfortable pajamas before going to bed himself.

'_He really is good to me,'_ she mused.

Expecting to see a mess of shards and the table full of ruined food, half-eaten by hungry animals from the nearby woods, Kagome's jaw dropped at the sight before her. The mess of ceramic and glass was gone. The table was cleared. Her suspicion nagging at her, Kagome ventured near the side of the house, where they kept all of the trash, and saw new bags of trash. Going back into the house, Kagome peered into the dishwasher, surprised to find it empty.

'_Surely, Kouga didn't throw out the tableware…_'

Kagome reached above to the cabinets where they kept their dinnerware and her gaze softened at all of the clean, neatly piled dishes. "Oh Kouga…" she breathed, her heart swelling with appreciation for the man sleeping upstairs.

Her stomach dropped as she remembered her behavior over the past few months since Inuyasha's arrival. Kagome felt the nasty twinge of guilt in her stomach and chewed on her bottom lip. She walked back out onto her deck, leaning over the railing and turning her gaze upwards. As usual, the inky sky was dark with the occasional twinkle of a star, the lights of Tokyo decreasing the chance to see the vast expanse of the galaxy. The full moon bathed her in its silvery glow and she stared at the ethereal quality lent to her skin.

Kagome lowered her chin onto her bent arm and the corners of her mouth fell. A line appeared as her eyebrows furrowed. It was too much for one person to bear. And on top of it, her father was nearly killed. Her eyes squeezed shut as the pain and anxiety took hold and Kagome took two shuddering breaths before opening her eyes again. The tension was building up inside and Kagome attempted another deep breath before she couldn't take it and slammed her hands angrily against the railing repeatedly, a small shriek escaping her by the last hit.

"Why do I feel so damn helpless?" she moaned quietly.

Her palms were red and she winced. "Everything's just so out of control," she mumbled.

Her heart ached at that moment for her mother. Before she could help it, tears began to streak down her cheeks and Kagome lifted her eyes towards the sky again. "Mama, I really need your help right now," she whispered. "I miss you so much."

Satori's death was the last time Kagome had felt so helpless… hopeless. Her world had spun out of control and Kagome would have lost it if it weren't for the one thing that had held onto her, grounded her throughout the entire ordeal.

Inuyasha.

'_But he's part of the problem now. I can't… I can't go to him, can I? And it's not fair of me to ask that of him. I'm with Kouga now. It should be Kouga I turn to, shouldn't it? But I need to get answers. Solve at least one of the problems.'_

Kagome's mouth set into a firm line.

'_If I can't do anything about my father, then I'm going to make damn sure to be done with all of this drama. It's been five years in the making and I'm going to get some closure.'_

Kagome reentered the house and rummaged through her coat pocket for her cell phone.

* * *

Absentmindedly running a towel through his damp hair, Inuyasha stared out over the city from behind the glass wall. The lights from the nightlife below were all that illuminated Inuyasha's dark apartment. He hissed when he touched the area on his head that had scraped against the concrete after the explosion. It had closed up a while ago but was now in the sore phase of healing. He scowled to himself as he recalled the effort it took to wash the dried blood from his scalp and hair.

He carelessly dropped the towel onto the floor before turning to head to the kitchen and answer the call of his empty stomach. But just as Inuyasha began to walk out of his bedroom, he could hear his mother's gentle voice in his head, scolding him for leaving a mess. He sighed and turned around to pick up the damp piece of fabric and hang it up in the still steamy bathroom. While in there, he wiped at the fogged up mirror to inspect the bandages he wrapped around his rib cage. The area on his right side was bruised and parts of it weren't completely covered by the white gauze, the blotchiness peeking out.

The pain was much less intense, though he still had to fight a grimace if he touched his side. He glared at the rib belt he nearly tore apart with his claws when he tried to take it off before his shower.

"Probably didn't even need that. Fucking Miroku was probably messing with me," he grumbled.

His stomach joined in on the grumbling and he began his original journey to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he made a face at how empty it was, save for a few cases of bear, a pitcher of filtered water, a carton of milk whose viability he wasn't quite sure of, and a roast chicken wrapped in plastic that he guessed his mother had made and snuck in using her set of keys. Inuyasha appreciated the gesture but didn't think he could stomach something quite so heavy before succumbing to the sleep he so desperately craved.

Reaching up to open his favorite set of cabinets in the entire kitchen, Inuyasha pulled out the plastic container and removed the plastic shrink wrap before filling it with water and putting it into the microwave. He breathed deeply as the salty, savory smell of the instant noodles wafted out of the microwave. He leaned against the counter, a pair of chopsticks already in his hand. Once the microwave beeped, indicating his ramen was ready, Inuyasha eagerly pulled the steaming bowl out and brought the noodles to his lips, the steam wafting up and heating his mouth.

As he was about to close his mouth over the noodles, there was a short knock on his door. He slammed down his food and glared at his door.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

He picked up the bowl and chose to ignore whoever was at his door. Just as the noodles were about to make their way past his lips, there was another knock on his door. With an aggravated growl, Inuyasha put down his food again and stomped over to his door and threw open the door.

"Miroku, you bastard, I don't know how the fuck you found out where I live, but you're the one who told me I had to get some sleep and—"

Inuyasha sucked in a sharp breath when he saw who was standing in front of him. Instead of his so-called best friend, his current guest stood a full head shorter than Miroku and with longer hair and warm, brown eyes. She looked up at him with a nervous resolve, biting down on her lower lip in uncertainty. However, her body language clearly indicated that she wasn't going anywhere soon— her arms were crossed over her chest and she stood tall without shifting her weight.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I, uh, I couldn't sleep," she explained. Kagome looked down briefly before meeting his gaze. "I think we need to talk."

Staring at her for a second too long, Inuyasha blinked at her before surprising himself by stepping back, giving her enough leeway to pass through the door and into the apartment. He closed the door after her and when he turned, found her staring at his apartment in curiosity.

"Uh… how did you find my address?"

"The directory," she replied simply.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. She answered _too_ simply. "I thought I had taken myself off of the public directory."

Kagome shrugged nonchalantly. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed even more. He appraised her shrewdly.

"You did something all lawyer-y didn't you? Looked me up using a database or something?"

She was silent for a heartbeat before a small smile curved her lips. Teasing, she countered, "You should really be more careful when you drive. You're not as slick as you thought. You're all over the traffic court's records. A lot of unpaid tickets."

"That's a load of bullshit." Inuyasha couldn't help the smirk that crept up onto his face. "I'm the perfect driver."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't go that far, but you're right I didn't use the traffic courts. I just called Miroku and had him look over your file from tonight."

Inuyasha shook his head at her. "That might be considered stalking."

"It's not," she quipped. "And trust me, I know. I'm a lawyer," she stage whispered, mocking his earlier accusation. Kagome opened her mouth to continue but paused and turned her attention towards the kitchen. "Ramen? I thought you were sleeping?"

"My stomach was angry at me."

"Well I won't keep you from your ramen. I know better than that."

He grinned at her appreciatively before leading her from the entrance hallway to his open plan kitchen and living room. Kagome raised her eyebrows at the glass wall in the living room, admiring the view. The sound of slurping recaptured her attention and she sat opposite Inuyasha at the kitchen island, removing her coat and hanging it on the back of her chair.

"Suits you," she commented.

His mouth full, he gulped noisily before explaining, "I had the entire wall knocked out on that side of the apartment and replaced with glass."

"Well you always did hate feeling confined."

Inuyasha set aside the now empty bowl and placed both hands on the island, stretching his arms out as he leaned forward with raised eyebrows at her loaded comment. "I'm pretty sure you didn't come into the middle of the city from the suburbs in your pajamas at four in the morning to see how I've renovated my apartment."

Kagome's face fell and she nodded, blushing as he brought her attention that she was still wearing her soft, flannel button down shirt and matching pants. "At least I managed to take the time to change from my robe to a proper coat. Unlike some people who can't even bother to put on a shirt."

"Wasn't exactly expecting company at four in the morning, was I?" he shot back.

Pursing her lips, Kagome cast him a pointed glare. "Shouldn't you be wearing a rib belt?" she deflected.

"Don't need it. All healed up."

She scoffed at him. "Stubborn idiot."

Inuyasha glared at her. "Hanyou," he reminded her. She cast a cursory glance at his ears but didn't respond. He straightened up, his arms folding across his chest and he cocked his head at her. "Come on, Kagome. I haven't slept yet and I have a lot of work to do for the next few days that will also keep me from getting any sleep."

"Fine. I just want to settle everything and…" she sighed, "Reach some kind of resolution." Kagome looked down at her hands. "I mean, we agreed that we could work on being back in each other's lives, right? That's what we were talking about before everything happened. I suppose after what happened at the hospital, it hit me that the only way it can happen is if we get everything out in the open and be done with the past."

"Be done with it?" he echoed.

Kagome offered him a weak smile. "It's the only way we can move on, isn't it?"

Inuyasha stared at her, the dim light managing to reflect in his golden eyes, giving them an ethereal glow. Kagome nearly lost her breath as he looked at her. The usually hard gaze was soft, vulnerable— exposed. She knew that she was one of the very few people to have seen them like that.

"Yeah. Sure."

He waited for her to begin, wanted to let her know that she was the one in charge. Kagome continued to stare at him, her lips slightly parted as she tried to think of how to start. She laughed at herself and hurriedly pushed off of the tall barstool, grabbing her coat and throwing it on.

"Kagome?"

"I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I don't know what I was thinking coming here in the middle of the night. You're obviously hurt and we both need sleep and I just wasn't thinking. Maybe we should just forget about it and—"

"Hey! You're backing out?"

"— this is highly inappropriate and rude. I'm just delirious. This isn't the right time—"

Inuyasha started and rushed around the kitchen island to hurry after her as she made a beeline for his front door.

"Oi! You're not running away from me this time! Kagome!"

Kagome was already at the door and twisted the doorknob, pulling it open. As she was stepping through the threshold, the wind was knocked out of her when the door was slammed closed and she was pulled backwards simultaneously. Kagome looked up and saw Inuyasha's large hand splayed on the door, keeping it closed while she felt his other arm around her waist. Before she could yell at him, the arm around her waist jerked away suddenly while hooked and she spun around from the momentum. Inuyasha then stepped closer towards her, trapping her between his body and the door.

"Quit running away," he growled. He considered her before leaning away from her. "You know I'll catch you and force you to speak."

"I'm allowed to change my mind, aren't I? Now let me go, Inuyasha!"

"Hell no! You don't get to change your mind when you drop by unannounced at four in the fucking morning!"

Kagome ignored him and moved to duck under his outstretched arm but Inuyasha was too fast for her and blocked her way.

"Inuyasha Takado! You get out of my way!"

"No!" he roared. "I let you walk away from me before and look at what happened!"

"Inuyasha!"

He lowered his face towards hers and she reared backwards, pressing against the door. "Kagome, you're going to listen to me, damn it! I've been the nice guy since I came back because I feel like shit, but you need to remember that you're not the only one who got hurt!"

She pushed at him and Inuyasha couldn't help but grimace and let out a harsh groan at the pain that flared up on his side and chest.

Kagome froze and stared at him with wide eyes. "Inuyasha?" She reached out her hands again, gingerly running her fingers against his side. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

Inuyasha swallowed nervously and pulled his arm away from the door, gently but firmly taking her hand off. He huffed and turned away from her, stubbornly keeping his gaze off to the side.

"I haven't been able to get the image of you driving away with tears in your eyes out of my head for five years," he whispered, his voice raspy. "I haven't been able to forget the look in your eyes or the scent of your tears. They've left the biggest scars."

He shook his head slowly. "I hate that it was my own fault it got so out of hand and that I know it wouldn't be like this if I wasn't so stupid." He laughed without humor in his voice. "My own words haunt me. I didn't even try to talk it over with you. I fucking asked if it really mattered."

Turning back to face her, "Of course it mattered," he said. "Our relationship was the most precious thing I ever had. I've learned my lesson. If you're ready to talk about it, then so am I."

All of the pride left Kagome and as she sighed, her shoulders slumped and she held her palms up. "So you really want to do this right now?"

"No time like the present. And with the way the night's gone, I don't know how much time I have left."

Kagome blanched and Inuyasha hurried to take back his words. Kagome beat him to it. "What would you want on your tombstone?" she asked quietly.

His eyes widening, Inuyasha clarified, "Kagome, I was just kidding."

"I know. But humor me. What do you want?"

Inuyasha shook his head at her. "Keh."

With a snort, Kagome lifted an eyebrow, commenting dryly, "Well that's fitting."

Inuyasha glared at her and they rolled their eyes at each other. The silence grew and the momentary lightheartedness faded. Inuyasha's face fell and he looked at her with concern.

"What brought this along?"

Kagome stared down at her feet, her thick bangs casting a shadow over her eyes, and shrugged meekly. "Do you remember what it says on my mother's tombstone?"

Inuyasha nodded, every moment of that period in their lives ingrained in his memory. The salty smell of Kagome's tears as they soaked into his shirt when she cried, causing the fabric to stick to his chest. The raspy sound of her wheezing in between sobs that racked her body late at night. The comforting scent of peonies and honey that always calmed him and gave him the strength to be strong for her.

"She was a woman, proud and willful, yet kind and giving. Always faithful, with a joy of living. Her health was frail. But her spirit was strong. Beloved wife, mother, and friend. One of a kind and dearly missed," he recited like a prayer.

Kagome lifted her head, a small, bittersweet smile on her lips. She made a small humming sound and nodded. "It's all true. But it's not…" She shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "It's not enough." She ducked her head again.

Gently using his forefinger to lift her chin, Inuyasha prodded softly, "Kagome, you never answered my question."

"It's just with everything happening with my dad tonight. I don't know. I feel so helpless," she admitted to him. "And I thought I was coming here so that in some strange way, I'd be taking control of something and solving a problem. But I don't know anymore."

"Keh. Your old man's gonna be fine if he's half as tough as you are. Kagome, you have nothing to worry about." He sighed and stifled a yawn. "The two of us are pretty beat and I think you need to head back and get some sleep. See your old man in the morning. I'll meet you there and we can talk about whatever the hell you want." He hesitated before adding, "I think we should have Ayame there."

Kagome's head jerked out of his touch. She was about to protest but closed her mouth. "You're right. The three of us should just get everything out in the open," she relented. "I'm sorry about coming over."

"I'm not."

"I'm sorry about hurting you."

"So am I."

They shared a glance and Kagome timidly made to embrace him without hurting him again. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pulled her to him tightly, ignoring the flash of pain throughout his torso.

"No more hurting each other," Kagome murmured into his chest.

"I can take whatever you throw at me."

Kagome smiled into his chest and stepped back. "I should get back."

Inuyasha smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You should also shower or something."

"Are you saying I smell?" Kagome lifted an eyebrow at him.

"No… but Kouga's probably going to smell me."

Kagome blinked at him and blushed. "Oh."

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah. Oh."

"I should probably call another cab."

"You called a cab? At this hour? Kagome, that's fucking expensive."

"Would you rather I walked here?"

"No, but come on. There's a faster and cheaper way to get you home."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her further into the apartment, past the kitchen and living room and into the last room at the end of the hall. Kagome recognized it as his bedroom and watched as he slid open a glass door and pulled her onto the balcony before crouching down in front of her.

"Inuyasha?"

"Don't tell me you forgot how to do this," he complained.

"Of course not!" Kagome sighed and grasped his shoulders, feeling his hands firmly grip the back of her knees. She couldn't fight the smile that appeared at his first powerful leap into the air and across rooftops. A shiver of excitement traveled through her and she savored her only chance at flight and the familiarity of sharing it with Inuyasha.

"You cold?" he called back, casting her a quick glance.

"I'm fine."

The rest of the short trip passed in silence and Inuyasha finally landed with a soft thud on the grass in her backyard. They both looked at the large house, still dark and quiet. Kagome climbed off and waited for Inuyasha to stand.

"You have a key or you need me to pick a lock?" He held up a clawed finger.

"We're not seventeen anymore, Inuyasha." Kagome rolled her eyes. "I don't need your help sneaking into my house. Besides I left the backdoor unlocked."

"You left your door unlocked?" he yelled.

Kagome slapped his shoulder, shushing him. "Are you trying to wake up my neighbors? Kouga?"

Lowering his voice, Inuyasha countered, "Your father was nearly killed after an attempt on his life and you, as his daughter and possible future target, leave your home unlocked?"

"Okay, you're right." She groaned. "Stop smirking at me like that!" Kagome stomped away but turned around with an exasperated smile. "I'll see you at the hospital tomorrow?"

Inuyasha gave her a half-smile. "I'll be there."

* * *

Kagome yawned again, her eyelids drooping as she sat in the armchair in the corner of her father's hospital room.

"Jeez, sis. I thought the reason I was stuck here all night was so that you could get some sleep."

Kouga chuckled and told Souta, "I woke up around five in the morning because your sister was busy taking a shower. Apparently, she woke up around three and couldn't get back to sleep."

With another yawn, Kagome countered, "Hot showers usually make me sleepy."

"You know, I think I woke up when you did," he said carefully.

Kagome nodded lazily. "Yeah you started waking up but went back to sleep. I didn't want to keep you up anyway. I tried eating and taking a walk but they didn't do any good, either."

There was a knock on the door and Souta opened it, revealing Miroku and an obviously grouchy Inuyasha. Souta and Miroku shared a fist bump while Souta blew a low whistle at Inuyasha's countenance. Inuyasha glared at the younger boy before leaning against the wall with a pout.

"What's up with him?"

"Pig-headed bastard didn't keep the rib belt on last night. It shifted before it completely healed so we had to break it again so that it would set correctly." Miroku shook his head. "Maybe I should have used superglue to keep the belt on you."

"I took it off when I showered okay? And my ribs felt fine so I didn't think I had to put it back on, so shut the hell up already. I'm the one with a broken rib."

"It shifted quite a bit. What the hell were you doing last night, Inuyasha? Running a marathon? I told you to take it easy when you decided to run home last night."

"I thought I did," he mumbled, a blush staining his cheeks.

"X-ray looks like you were hiking Mt. Fuji with a pack, not just running."

"Fuck off, Miroku." Inuyasha met Kagome's eyes for a split second and he inwardly groaned at the look on her face. He shook his head at her curtly, cutting off the guilt.

The door opened once more and Ayame stepped in, pausing awkwardly when she saw the room's occupants before moving towards Sadao and checking his vitals on the monitors. "He looks like he's stable. Been this way for the past few hours."

Kagome frowned. "You've been here all night?"

Ayame stared at her before nodding. "Yes, Higurashi-san. I work the night shifts." She laughed quietly. "Better pay and no offense, but it's when visiting hours are done and I don't have to deal with crazy families."

Kagome smiled back at her. "Kagome," she reminded her. "You can call me Kagome. And I get it."

"Not that you guys are crazy!" Ayame rushed to say. "I just meant in general."

Miroku snorted. "I don't know. I've had my fair share of crazy relatives to deal with and I think these guys are pretty insane."

Kagome rose from the armchair and gestured towards the door. "Souta told me that you were nice enough to let him sleep through the night. I guess that means I should take care of the paperwork from last night?"

"Oh, sure. If you'll just come with me to the nurse's station. I left it in your father's file."

Kouga stopped Kagome as she made her way to leave. "Hey, I should get going soon and get started on catching the sons of bitches who did this. I'll pick you up after work?"

"If you even bother coming home tonight," Kagome teased knowingly.

"Inuyasha'll make me come home. Right, mutt?"

Inuyasha glared at him. "Fuck you."

Kouga grinned. "See?"

"Okay. Stay safe, okay?"

"Hey Kouga, mind dropping me off at the dorm? I have a lot of work to catch up on."

"No problem. Go ahead and wait for me in the car." He tossed his keys at Souta, who gave everyone a quick wave as he left the room.

"I'll see you later," Kouga promised Kagome. They shared a kiss before Kouga passed Inuyasha at the door. "Ready?"

Miroku interrupted, "Inuyasha will have to join you later on, Kouga. Since the idiot had to have me break his rib again, I'm keeping him here until I'm sure he won't do something stupid and cause it to shift again."

With a shrug, Kouga slapped hands with Miroku. "Fine. Have fun playing doctor, you two."

Inuyasha glared after the wolf youkai. "That deserved a punch in the mouth."

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned. As she and Ayame left the room, she motioned for Inuyasha to follow.

Miroku caught the gesture and shook his head. "Have fun," he said sarcastically, aware of what was about to happen between the three of them.

"Not likely," Inuyasha muttered before following them.

Kagome gently held Ayame by the shoulder to get her attention. "Before we do all of that, do you think we could talk?"

Ayame raised her eyebrows and her shoulders tensed up underneath Kagome's fingers, but she nodded. "Yeah."

She led her past the double doors that allowed entrance into the wing and into a brightly lit, bare hallway lined with benches against the wall. It was the waiting area for family members and loved ones before they were allowed to see patients. Ayame glanced nervously over her shoulder when she sensed Inuyasha following the two of them. She sat down on a bench and Kagome sat down next to her, Inuyasha preferring to lean on the wall opposite them.

Kagome chewed on her lower lip nervously. "Inuyasha and I were talking and we thought that it would be better for everyone if the three of us just got everything out and be done with this whole mess."

"Kagome, I don't know much I can tell you how sorry I am."

Giving her an understanding smile, Kagome took her hand in hers. "I believe you. But I think all three of us have something to be sorry about. Why don't the two of you just go through it as objectively as possible and clear everything up."

Ayame turned her emerald eyes to Inuyasha, who had an impassive mask on his face. He sighed and nodded at her. Ayame turned back to Kagome and explained, "Inuyasha and I grew up together," she said plainly. "We lived in a danchi in Adachi-ku where we were the only two kids relatively close in age so we were kind of stuck together, I suppose."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha to gauge his expression, which he still kept carefully impassive.

"In any case," Ayame continued, "We grew up together and I don't know about him, but I considered him my best friend."

Inuyasha snorted. "Quit being so stupid. Of course you were my best friend. You were the only one in the beginning who was still my friend. Even Kichirou and Shoji avoided me at first…"

"Kichirou and Shoji?" Kagome asked.

"Our other friends," Ayame supplied. She shrugged. "I haven't seen them that often since university."

Inuyasha scuffed his foot against the floor. "I haven't talked to them since high school," he muttered.

Ayame frowned at him. "You know that they still reminisce about the stupid pranks the three of you did in junior high? Every time they get drunk out of their minds, it's all 'Remember when Inuyasha and I did this?' or 'How about when Inuyasha… whatever?' You could join us the next time we meet up."

Inuyasha shrugged noncommittally.

"Uh, anyway, we had gotten into the same high school but then Inuyasha told me he was moving to Nakano and was transferring to Horikoshi." She sighed. "He promised that nothing would change, but I mean, of course everything was going to change. In the beginning, we were able to hang out during weekends and after school. But after a while…"

"I was an asshole, okay?" Inuyasha scoffed. "I kept showing up late or forgetting or I didn't return phone calls and to be honest, I was a pretty shitty friend."

Kagome frowned. "It's because of us, isn't it?"

"I just didn't know how to manage my time between two different circles of people. And you guys don't exactly come from the same place Ayame and me came from." He rubbed the back of his neck. "The last time Ayame and I had plans, I was running late again."

"I saw you," Ayame whispered.

"You what?"

"I saw you coming around the corner with your friends. Kagome, Kouga, even Miroku. I didn't remember Kouga and Miroku until I saw you again last night. I was wondering why they looked familiar." She bit down on her lip and her face scrunched up. "Anyway, I overheard your conversation and… I mean, Inuyasha had talked about you before, Kagome, but he didn't really say much other than he thought you were a good friend. And then I heard you guys talking about a dance and being together so I, I ran."

"You ran?" Inuyasha asked incredulously, his voice rising.

"Inuyasha—"

Ayame rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about it, Kagome. I'm surprisingly still used to that. But yeah. I mean, I guess I always had a crush on him, even when I was a little girl. I thought that he just forgot about me and then I decided to forget about him."

Kagome nodded understandingly. "It's a lot harder than it sounds," she sighed.

Inuyasha's ears flicked at her quiet admission. He cleared his throat before explaining, "Ayame, I was on my way to meet you. I called you afterwards but you rejected all of my calls."

"He even offered to introduce you to me," Kagome interjected. "I really wanted to meet you. Inuyasha had told me a lot about you."

Flushing, Ayame felt as though she were reduced to the timid, awkward girl she felt like in high school. "Oh…"

"But I thought you got sick of me so I decided to leave you alone. I didn't think I'd run into you again until that night." Inuyasha dropped his arms.

"Neither did I."

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha before asking Ayame, "So how messed up was he?"

"Well I don't know how much he drank, but whatever they were smoking, and from what I smelled, it smelled like several things, it wasn't particularly pleasant for our noses. But my friend was human and wanted me to go with her, so I just rubbed some menthol gel on my nose to block the smell."

"I don't know… I took a few shots. It was definitely that shit that they were smoking that got to me though. No way I'd get so fucked up from a couple of shots, unless some bastard messed with them to hook up with girls."

"Some baka probably did. Miroku was in the middle of dragging him out of the house before I offered to help." Ayame cringed. "Which probably wasn't that great of an idea since I had been drinking, too."

"Drunk person taking care of a drunk and high person. Horrible idea," Inuyasha said with a small, sarcastic laugh.

"Puked before he got into the car," Ayame quipped. "Kept insisting that he could take care of himself and that I should just drop him off, but I thought someone should watch him in case he threw up again. He said he didn't want to wake you up."

She looked down at her hands. "He cleaned up at my place and then… I don't know—"

"I was being an asshole and accused her of ditching me—"

"I blamed _him_ for ditching me—"

"We kept yelling at each other—"

"And I kissed him. Pushed him against the wall and… I don't know. I guess I just lost control of everything. But then he pushed me off and yelled at me. He told me that his girlfriend was still the pretty girl I saw him with in high school." Ayame shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Kagome."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "_That_ was what you thought was so unforgivable?"

Inuyasha scowled and yelled, "If I saw you kissing some other guy, I'd fucking rip his head off. So yeah, I thought it was pretty bad. Are you telling me that if I told you what happened, you wouldn't have been pissed?"

Kagome stood and pointed a finger at him. "No, I would have been more than pissed. I'd be _furious_. Yeah, there were mitigating circumstances like the fact that you were messed up, but… part of you had to want that," she finished softly. "That hurts the most. But eventually, I would have gotten over it. Because you were honest about it and told me right after."

Ayame cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I think my part in this is over. The rest is up to you two. Kagome, I'll be at the nurses' station with that paperwork."

Kagome stopped her and nodded at her. "Thanks, Ayame."

The auburn-haired woman smiled at her, relieved that there seemed to be no hard feelings. "Good luck." Kagome blinked at her in confusion and Ayame shrugged. "Just… good luck."

Inuyasha and Kagome watched Ayame walk away, through the double doors. Kagome sat back down on the bench and stared at her hands. "You know… it's strange."

"What is?" Inuyasha asked, an eyebrow arching at her.

"When you get into a relationship, there are really only two options— marriage or you break up. I thought that with us… if we ever broke up, it'd…" She struggled for the right words.

"It'd what?" he prompted, his irritation evident in his voice.

"I don't know," she lifted her shoulders. "I thought there'd be _more_."

"More," he echoed. "Explain."

With another shrug she offered, "More yelling, more fight in the both of us, more _passion_. I mean, isn't that what really started our whole relationship? The arguments— the, the fighting and then the making up. How much of ourselves we poured into the relationship?"

Inuyasha frowned at her. "I gave up," he said simply.

Kagome turned towards him, her honey eyes glassy and her brow furrowed. "Why?" she demanded.

As Inuyasha began to lift his shoulders in a shrug, Kagome's expression shifted, her pout turning into a firm line as her lips pressed together and her gaze penetrated. "No, you know why. Come on, Inuyasha, was it because you got tired of it?"

"No," Inuyasha insisted, his own anger rising at her accusation.

"You didn't love me?"

"I loved you with everything I had. Kagome you were the most important person in my life."

"So what changed?"

"Before I confessed to you that morning, I'd spent hours," he winced, "I agonized over how to tell you. I mourned the loss of our future. I told you everything with the mindset that it was already over. But honestly? Nothing changed. I never stopped. You're still…" Inuyasha sighed and hunkered down, joining her on the bench, resting his forearms on his knees and staring at his clasped hands.

Kagome stared at him, wide eyed. She had never known Inuyasha to do well with expressing himself with words, but he made the real effort just now.

"Through all of the shit that I went through growing up— until I met you. For being a hanyou. For being a bastard kid. Never getting the chance to meet my old man. For essentially being myself. Through all of that shit, our break up's left the biggest scar on my heart."

Kagome's hand entered his line of vision as she laid it on top of his hands. He looked up and turned to her, but she was staring resolutely at their hands.

"I didn't mean to bring up any bad feelings, Inuyasha. I just wanted some closure. I mean, for five years, I didn't really have an explanation or… much of anything. There was no reason as to why someone I loved just left me… it was too close—" a hiccup interrupted her— "It was too close to Mama," she whispered, her voice thick.

Inuyasha took her hand in one of his as the other arm reached around her shoulders and squeezed her tight. She laid her head on his shoulder and Inuyasha rest his chin on the crown of her head. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," she sniffed. With her free hand she wiped at her eyes. "I guess I didn't realize how bad I needed that until you came back. I had to deal with it. Kami, the other night Kouga tried to carry me on his back the way you used to, the way you did last night, but I couldn't handle it."

"I'm sorry," he repeated. He pulled her closer and quickly pressed his lips to her hair. "I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't have run away from you."

"Me neither," he said. "The difference is that you told me you just needed time. I flat out ran away. You know, I kept telling myself that it was so that I couldn't hurt you anymore, but I can't understand why I thought leaving you behind was a good idea. I can't do it again."

She sat back with a content smile and nodded her head slowly. "I think we've finally done it."

"Done what?"

"After all of the trial and error and false starts the past few months, I think we're finally getting off on the right foot now. I've made peace with everything. There's no more anger. I'm sorry for all of the guilt trips I gave you."

"No you're not," he scoffed.

"Hey I am!"

"Keh."

Kagome laughed at him and Inuyasha was pleased to hear the light, airy sound. "I should probably let you get back to work. Catch the bad guys and all."

"Maybe," he said softly. "But first, Miroku's got to give me the green light."

"I'm sure you'll be up to par in a few hours."

They stood and Kagome gave him a quick hug before walking away, towards the double doors.

"Kagome."

She turned over her shoulder. "Hm?"

"You asked me what I'd want written on my tombstone." Inuyasha returned her expectant gaze with a sad smile. "Firsthand, he knew the story of how the sun loved the moon so much, he died every night to let her breathe."

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

**Yaya94: **Thank you so much! You are too sweet. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

**RiceBallMaker94:** I don't know if he ran away, necessarily. He just wanted to spare Kagome. Yeah, just a load of misunderstandings and heartbreak. The drama is far from over, I promise you! Thanks for reviewing!

**vampireinu95: **Thanks for the review! It really depends on the person… we're so sympathetic to him because we experienced it through mostly Inuyasha's point of view and then of course, Kagome was led to believe the worse. But I know for some people, the fact that he let it happen is still enough to count as cheating. Grey area, I suppose.

A monster of a chapter lol but it's done. Read, review, and wonder :)


	8. Let Her Go

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anything else not a figment of my imagination.**

Chapter 8: Let Her Go

* * *

**Summary: **Now in the midst of adulthood and recently married, Kagome Higurashi is more than shocked when she sees her ex-boyfriend from high school and university, her first true love who still has a special place in her heart but has also broken it. Despite her reservations, she agrees to a seemingly meaningless cup of coffee when their conversation brings back memories she doesn't want to remember, choices she can't make, and heartache she can't handle.

* * *

_Last Time…_

_She sat back with a content smile and nodded her head slowly. "I think we've finally done it."_

"_Done what?"_

"_After all of the trial and error and false starts the past few months, I think we're finally getting off on the right foot now. I've made peace with everything. There's no more anger. I'm sorry for all of the guilt trips I gave you."_

"_No you're not," he scoffed._

"_Hey I am!"_

"_Keh."_

_Kagome laughed at him and Inuyasha was pleased to hear the light, airy sound. "I should probably let you get back to work. Catch the bad guys and all."_

"_Maybe," he said softly. "But first, Miroku's got to give me the green light."_

"_I'm sure you'll be up to par in a few hours."_

_They stood and Kagome gave him a quick hug before walking away, towards the double doors._

"_Kagome."_

_She turned over her shoulder. "Hm?"_

"_You asked me what I'd want written on my tombstone." Inuyasha returned her expectant gaze with a sad smile. "Firsthand, he knew the story of how the sun loved the moon so much, he died every night to let her breathe."_

* * *

Kagome gave her father an encouraging smile, holding his hand tightly as he navigated the front steps slowly. Sadao Higurashi's physical therapy had just begun, but they had left the session with high hopes for complete rehabilitation. They'd come a long way in the past few months. Kagome was forced to deal with the possibility of losing her father. His doctor informed them that Sadao had suffered heavy brain trauma from all of the blows to his head. Multiple contusions and a broken orbital bone. The scariest threat was the skull fracture. Doctors told her that pieces of bone may cut into the brain and cause further problems.

A broken leg, hit right at the knee. Broken kneecap that required surgery and the installation of metal wires, pins, and screws to put the broken bones back together. He would walk again, but only after arduous physical therapy and probably with the use of a cane. Would've been a different story if he were younger. He was extremely lucky.

Bruised ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and a myriad of cuts interspersed all over his torso and head to finish the list of the physical damage the attack had inflicted on Sadao Higurashi. They were just beginning to heal from the emotional scars. But they did it together.

Kagome had grasped onto the dimmest glimmer of hope that her father would end up fine. It had taken her the first month to try and reconcile it with the heaviness of having to steel herself against the probability of burying another parent. The image of a third tombstone next to her mother's and older brother's haunted her for weeks.

Her father, therefore, became her first priority, and Kagome requested an indefinite leave of absence from the firm. She was willing to take an unpaid leave, but she was touched and surprised when the firm gave her paid leave, though at a much lower salary than she'd normally receive. Then again, Sadao Higurashi was well known in legal circles. She joked that Kouga would be the one to leave her alone at home, but it turned out that it was the other way around. Kagome spent her nights in the hospital at her father's side and her days were spent in various offices in hospitals and clinics all over Tokyo to find a way to make her father better. The best surgeons and diagnosticians. The newest medical innovations and technology.

"You okay, Dad?"

He grunted at her, his face tense with concentration and his grip tight as he lifted his bad leg up onto the next step shakily.

Kouga opened the front door and immediately moved to help Sadao up the stairs but Kagome shook her head, though she gave him a gracious smile. He pulled up and nodded, his arms falling to his sides. "I'll go get some iced tea ready."

"Thanks, Kouga."

"Yes—uhn!— thank you, son," Sadao panted.

Kagome kept her other hand hovering behind her father as he painstakingly climbed the last step and paused to take a deep breath. He released her hand and slowly made his way into the house. Kouga was quick to pull out a chair for him at the dining room table, a tall glass already in front of him, the sides of the tumbler dripping with condensed water. Sadao rested his hand briefly on Kouga's forearm in thanks before gulping quickly from the drink.

Lifting a shaky finger towards the door. "Kagome is getting my bags."

"I'll go grab them from her." Kouga met Kagome at the door. She was already closing the door behind her with her foot as she carried one duffel bag over her shoulder and dragged another suitcase behind her. "Here, let me get that." He held his arms out, ready to take the bags.

"No, it's fine. I've got it," she assured him.

Kouga rolled his eyes at her and pulled the duffel off of her shoulder, easily fighting her resistance. "I know you do. I don't think anyone's ever figured out how you managed to carry around a bag that's bigger than you every time we had exams in high school ," he joked. "Doesn't mean you should have to." He pushed down the extendable bar from the suitcase and easily lifted it using the grip. "Which bedroom is your dad staying in?"

"The guest bedroom on this floor, next to the bathroom. I don't want him to climb up or down any stairs if he doesn't have to."

"Okay."

"Hey! Kouga! You forgot something."

Kouga turned around and stared at her empty hands. "What?"

Kagome smiled and tiptoed towards him and left him with a lingering kiss. Kouga tried to follow her as she pulled away, but couldn't grab her because of the bags. "Kagome!" he whined.

She giggled and pushed him in the direction of the guest bedroom. "Go put the bags away. The others will be here soon for dinner."

Kouga sighed before going down the hallway to put the bags away. He called back, "Something's about to burn," he taunted.

Scowling at his back, Kagome nevertheless went back to the kitchen to check on Souta, who had stayed here while Kouga and Kagome brought Sadao home. "Hey, Kouga informs me with his supernatural sense of smell that you are about to burn something."

Souta's eyes grew large with panic before he immediately put the dish he was holding onto the counter before throwing open the oven door. Quickly grabbing the pan, Souta hissed when he neglected to put on mitts or grab a potholder. Kagome shook her head in pity before moving him out of the way and towards the sink, reaching for one of the potholders she kept in a shallow drawer.

"Go run your hand under cold water." She took the pan and put it on the counter, sniffing the dish. "At least the food isn't ruined. Baked eggplant with miso sauce." Kagome sighed contently. "One of my favorites. And Dad's."

"Yeah, that's why I made it," Souta deadpanned. "Along with Mom's udon," he added quietly. Souta kept his gaze away from Kagome's as he turned towards the sink. He hissed when he finally put his hand under the stream of cold water.

"Lower the water pressure, Souta," she said gently. Kagome rolled her eyes at him and peered over his shoulder to look at his hand. "Kami Souta, when did you get so tall?" She stood on her tiptoes and lifted her chin to try and see over his shoulder.

Shifting, Souta let her see his hand. His fingers and the center of his palm were colored a shade between red and purple, looking more like a bruise than a burn. Kagome rubbed his shoulder soothingly and patted him on the back before leaving the kitchen to head for the stairs.

"I'll go see if we have some burn ointment. If not, I think I have some aloe vera gel that'll work, also," she called back. "Just go and sit with Dad in the dining room! Keep your hand in a bowl of cold water! I'll bring the dishes out."

Kagome was detoured when the doorbell rang. As soon as she opened the door, her vision was obscured by a thick veil of brown hair and Kagome laughed when the air came back to her lungs. Returning the gesture, Kagome wrapped her arms around her best and oldest friend.

"Sango! I had no idea you were coming!" Kagome released Sango to glower at Miroku. "I thought you said she would still be out of town."

"Don't blame him, Kagome. I came home early and surprised him, too."

A cheeky smirk appeared on Miroku's face and his eyebrows moved suggestively. "Yeah, she did."

Sango immediately flushed and glared at her boyfriend, her hand twitching before Kagome pulled her away to follow behind her. "Forget it, Sango. You should know by now. Come keep me company while I go find some burn ointment." As they walked away, Kagome turned over her shoulder to mock scowl at Miroku, who still had a bit of a dopey grin on his face.

"Burn ointment?"

"Souta burned himself while making dinner."

"Souta made dinner?" Sango chuckled. "I don't know whether to be surprised or abstain from dinner."

Kagome giggled. "Believe me, when he first tried cooking for us, I was almost ready to pay him to _not_. But he's gotten really good." She went into a bathroom and pulled open a cabinet to rummage through in order to look for a first aid kid. She glanced up for a second to share a secretive smile with Sango. "If you ask me, I think he learned to cook in order to impress a girl."

Leaning in the doorway, Sango grinned back. "He hasn't told you if he's seeing anyone?"

"Aha!" Kagome held up the tube of burn ointment triumphantly. She then gestured for Sango to follow her out of the bathroom. "No, as far as I know, he hasn't even thought of seeing someone since he broke up with Hitomi before they went off to university." A gleam entered her eyes. "Do you think Kohaku would know?"

Laughing, Sango rolled her eyes and teased, "I'll ask Kohaku next time I go back home to see him and Dad."

"I know you think I'm not being serious, but I am, Sango."

"Oh no, I believe you." Sango giggled. "Who would you be if you didn't want to meddle in someone else's personal business?"

Kagome pouted and playfully whined, "Sango!"

"Come on! Get that over to your brother!" Sango laughed. She took Kagome by the shoulders and pushed her back in the direction of the dining room, the two women feeling as though they were back in high school.

As they made their way back to the dining room, Kagome tossed the tube at Souta, who caught it gingerly with his other hand. Sango immediately had a charming smile on her face for Sadao, who returned it with a pleasant smile of his own.

"Higurashi-san," she greeted.

"Sango," he replied warmly, always having appreciated the girl he considered a second daughter. "How was Kyoto? Or was it Osaka?"

"Kyoto. It was lovely, I'm sure, but seeing as how I was cooped up inside in meetings all day, I'm afraid I didn't get a chance to see it." Sango's face fell slightly. "But how are you doing? I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit that often."

"No, no, I understand completely. You're young and are starting your own life. I told Kagome the same and that she didn't need to fuss after me."

"Dad, I wasn't fussing."

"You were fussing," Sadao argued. "And you still are." His face, however, wasn't as stern as his voice might have suggested. Sadao looked at his daughter with gratitude and love and Kagome returned the look with a smile.

"You're my father," Kagome said simply. "What else would I do?"

Kouga entered the dining room, a tray of food in his hands. "The others called and they're on their way. I thought I might start setting the table."

"Oh! That's great, Kouga. Let me help you," Kagome turned to head back into the kitchen, Kouga right behind her.

Kouga picked up the next tray of food, but Kagome took it from him and set it back down on the kitchen counter. She then took his hands in hers, interlacing their fingers for a moment and squeezing his hands before she slid her hands up his arms, resting them on his shoulders before sighing and resting her head against his chest. Kouga's arms instinctively tightened around her and he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"I don't think I've thanked you enough these past few months," Kagome murmured. She sighed once more and snuggled deeper into his chest. "You've been so sweet and helpful and understanding and… and _strong_. I just don't know what I would have done if you weren't here."

"Aw, you would've been just fine, Kagome," Kouga assured her. "But I'm glad I was here. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Kagome lifted her head away from his chest and craned her neck up to look at him, a smile forming on her lips. She reached up and Kouga met her halfway, their lips meeting gently meeting. Kouga sighed against her lips, his hands gently kneading her back as he pressed into her. Kagome relaxed against him and complied when Kouga parted his lips and coaxed her to do the same. He tasted her lips with his tongue and Kagome's hands tightened.

"Hey, Kago— oh I'm so sorry!"

Sango's cheeks reddened and she sucked in her lips, looking much like a child who didn't want to be scolded. Kagome and Kouga looked at each other and sighed. Kouga reached down to brush his fingers gently across Kagome's cheek.

"Don't worry about it, Sango. Kagome and I weren't exactly being inconspicuous."

Sango smiled bashfully at the couple. "I just wanted to see if the two of you needed help carrying dishes in."

Kagome looked as though she were about to refuse Sango's offer when the doorbell rang and Kouga's ears twitched almost imperceptibly. "That'll be your grandfather, Kagome. I should go help him walk in."

"Oh okay, thanks." She accepted one last kiss from him before turning back to Sango. "I guess I'll need your help after all."

They each balanced a large dish on each arm and headed back towards the dining room. Miroku immediately stood to help them, but Sango shook her head at her boyfriend. "Don't worry about it, this is nothing."

Miroku ignored her and took a platter from her and placing it on the table before taking one from Kagome and doing the same. "I know, I know. This is how you two paid your way through college. Doesn't mean I should be less of a gentleman."

Kagome snorted. "That would imply you're a gentleman to begin with."

Overdramatically slapping his palm against his chest, Miroku shook his head and pouted. "Kagome, I can't believe that you would think so lowly of me after all of these years."

"It's _because_ of our friendship after all of these years that I think so lowly, Miroku." Kagome rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "I know you too well." She gestured at the food on the table, "Well I guess the others are running late, so go ahead, dig in!"

Souta grinned. "You don't have to tell me twice!" He eagerly reached for the large dish filled with yakiniku.

"Souta." Souta froze and looked up at his father warily.

"Dad, don't worry," Kagome added, "We have plenty of food. And they won't mind if we start ahead."

"I'm aware of that Kagome," Sadao nodded at his son. "I just wanted to make sure that Souta gave me my favorite— the hone-tsuki-karubi."

"Did I hear someone mention yakiniku?"

Kagome turned and saw Kouga helping her elderly grandfather to his seat. "Jii-chan, you know that your dentures can't handle meat anymore."

"Doesn't matter, I'm still going to try. Souta, hand me that platter!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and placed a hand over the one Kouga put on her shoulder. "You guys can start eating. I'm okay with waiting for the rest of them."

"Me, too," Sango joined in. "You boys can start eating while we enjoy a drink in the backyard."

Kouga kissed Kagome's temple and sat down at the head of the table, beginning to fill up his own plate. "You won't have to wait for long, I got a call from Ginta. He and Hakkaku are almost here. Inuyasha didn't pick up, but he texted that he's also on his way. Probably still finishing up something at the station."

"You five better not finish all of the food."

"No promises," Souta said, the words muffled by all of the food in his mouth.

"Kagome! Come on, I've got the wine bottle!" Sango called from the back. Kagome giggled and joined her outside, settling next to her on the outdoor swinging bench on the deck.

Sango pressed a button on the arm that turned on the sound system in the backyard, the soft strummings of an acoustic guitar paired with a soft female voice. "That's exactly what I needed after my hellish business trip," she sighed. "Oh I love this seat," Sango gushed. "So comfy."

"I'm planning on clearing a small space in the grass for a big gazebo with a fire pit. Fill it with more benches like this."

Sango shook her head. "Look at you, a real suburban wife."

Kagome shrugged. "I thought it'd be nice… I hoped I'd have it done by the time summer starts, but with my father being in the hospital, I pushed off my home improvement plans. You know how Kouga and I love having people over in the summer." She tilted her head, staring at her large backyard with a thoughtful expression.

"And over there, just by the gate, it would be perfect to have a small play area— swings, slides, a little jungle gym for climbing."

"You and Kouga are thinking of having kids?" Sango's brown eyes were wide.

"I mean, not now. It's not the right time and we haven't talked about it, but he's my husband. We're responsible, have two steady incomes. dAnd I've always wanted a big family."

The two women sat in silence, thinking over Kagome's revelation. Sango sighed and took a sip of the wine. "And you're sure that you and Kouga are ready for that? That you want this?"

"Like I said, I'm not saying I want to have children _now_. But I mean, eventually…" Kagome blinked at Sango. "Why are you asking?"

"I saw the way you and Kouga are around each other. And I walked in on you guys…"

"Why? What was wrong with our kiss?" Kagome asked, her voice defensive.

"Nothing!" Sango hurried to tell her. "You guys are sweet to each other. Happy, I guess. Picture perfect."

Narrowing her eyes at her best friend, Kagome asked, "Why are you saying it like that?"

"It was sweet," Sango repeated. "Maybe… a little safe. No… passion?"

"We were in the middle of our kitchen, Sango. Would you rather Kouga and I just start having sex on our kitchen floor?"

"I guess I'm just saying… it doesn't exactly look like… like—"

"Like the way Inuyasha and I used to kiss each other?" Kagome ventured, exhaustion coloring her tone.

Sango didn't respond, but made a face and shrugged. Kagome groaned and took a large gulp of her wine, refusing to look at Sango. She stared back out over the grass and into the trees of the woods in her backyard. "Why does everything between Kouga and I have to be compared between what happened with Inuyasha and me? They're two different relationships. It'd be weird, disturbing even, if they were exactly the same."

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Sango mumbled. She, like Kagome, stared out over the grass, trying to figure out how to redirect the conversation.

"I mean, if this is how you and Souta and Miroku really felt, then what kind of friends are you to encourage me to accept Kouga's offer to date, to get married?"

"Kagome—"

"No, seriously. All of you were so supportive when we were dating and engaged. He made me happy again, Sango. He loves me. And what, are you suggesting I just _forget_ everything he's done for me since we've been together?"

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Sango repeated. "I didn't mean anything by it." Sango comfortingly grasped Kagome's wrist and squeezed. "It's just strange now that Inuyasha's back. How are you two?"

"We're still in a slightly weird place," she admitted. "Still trying to find out a good balance. I mean, we've made a lot of progress since he's come back and we're in a pretty good place." Kagome sighed. "It's still difficult."

Taking a gulp of her wine, Sango nodded. "I'd bet. You two had an intense relationship."

Kagome snorted into her glass, inhaling the fresh, crisp scent of the sweet wine. "It's just hard to reconcile the past with the present. We're not lovers, but we're still more than friends."

"And you and Kouga?"

Kagome frowned. "He acts like he's okay. I mean, it _has_ to be difficult. He's partners with Inuyasha. He was there in high school— he _knows_ how Inuyasha and I were. There was one time where he told me he was worried… I know that he's just putting on a front sometimes, but what can we do? He's back in our lives."

"You really thought that Inuyasha would never come back?"

"I hoped he would, but I don't think I thought he would." Kagome shrugged. "That's why when Kouga asked me out, I said yes. I knew he liked me and we'd been friends. I figured there was no harm and that I had to date again someday. Why not one of my friends?"

"He was safe," Sango murmured.

"Oh kami, have I been using Kouga?"

"No!" Sango took the wine out of Kagome's hand and put it down in front of them, along with hers. She enveloped Kagome and hugged her tightly. "No, Kagome. It took you two years to start dating again. And we all saw it. You were getting back to the old you when you were with Kouga. You're right— he makes you so happy and I'm sorry I even brought this up."

Kagome screwed her eyes shut tightly. "I just don't know what I'm doing anymore."

"Kagome, do you love Kouga?"

"Yes."

"Do you love Inuyasha?"

Kagome stared back at Sango with wide eyes. Her teeth made an audible click as she shut her mouth. "Yes," she whispered.

Sango raised her eyebrows at that, but reassured her. "I don't think you _could_ stop. But do you feel the same way as you did years ago?"

Kagome looked down at her hands. "I don't think so," she whispered.

"Kagome…" Sango took Kagome's chin in her hands and looked her in the eye. "There's going to be a part of you that always loves Inuyasha, but I think a part of you realizes that that time in your life is over. I think there's a part of all of us that needs to realize it. It's all in the past."

"You're right. We're not being fair to ourselves, to the present, to our future."

"Look, this is too heavy of a conversation topic for me. What do you say we go back inside and eat?"

Kagome laughed. "Gladly."

"Hey, Kagome. Would Kouga have been able to hear our conversation?"

Kagome shook her head. "Our house is soundproofed. Plus we had music playing out here. And he has to deal with my brother, Miroku, and grandfather inside to occupy his attention."

"True enough," Sango agreed. She paused once more as they made their way back inside. "Why did you two decide to soundproof the place?"

Kagome blushed. "Well as a security measure, first of all. In case we ever talk to each other about a case or if we're on the phone talking about it. Also, there are plenty of youkai in the world, never know if one of them becomes a neighbor and eavesdrops."

"Uh-huh. Then why are you blushing?"

"No reason," Kagome squeaked.

Sango grinned mischievously at her. She teased, "Are you a screamer Kagome?"

"Come on, I'm hungry." Kagome quickly disappeared into the house, leaving Sango to lag behind her, nearly doubled over in laughter.

* * *

Kagome laughed and held on tightly as Ginta spun her around in greeting. Once he put her down, she didn't have a chance to catch her breath before Hakkaku crushed her with a hug. Kouga rolled his eyes and quickly clapped Ginta on the back before glaring at Hakkaku.

"Hey! You're crushing her! Knock it off, Hakkaku!"

Releasing her, Hakkaku chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Kagome took in a deep breath and let Kouga curl her towards him.

"Come on, you guys should know better by now," Kouga scolded.

"Sorry, Sis," Ginta joked good naturedly at Kagome. "Forgot that you're human."

Kagome rolled her eyes and gestured towards the dining room. "Don't worry about it. Go ahead."

"Don't worry about it?" Kouga muttered under his breath.

"Kouga, you don't actually think that they were doing that on purpose, do you?"

"No, but they should know better by now."

Kagome laughed easily, grabbing his forearms. "You make it sound as if they're children who nearly dropped a newborn."

Kouga shrugged. "Well in a way…"

"Oh no. You are _not_ comparing me to a helpless infant."

"Keh, aren't you one, though?"

Kouga and Kagome turned to face the surly looking hanyou in their doorway. He scowled back at them as he shook his hair free of the water droplets that dampened it. Kagome ushered him in and stuck her head out of the doorway, peering up at the dark sky.

"How are you wet? It's not raining."

"No, but your fucking neighbor's sprinkler system is set to go off at eight at night for some goddamn reason." He growled in frustration when he felt the cold beads of water collect at the small of his back, soaking into the polo shirt he wore. Inuyasha roughly pulled the material from his skin.

Kouga barked out a harsh laugh. "What the hell were you doing in our neighbor's yard?"

Narrowing his amber eyes at his partner, Inuyasha's voice was tight as he grit out, "I. Wasn't. Bastards need to recalibrate the system because it spewed water everywhere _but_ the fucking grass."

Kagome frowned. "They're out of town. But the box controlling the system is right on the side of the house. Some kids must have messed with it."

"Don't worry about it. They'll be back the day after tomorrow. I'll let 'em know." Kouga's eyebrows came together. "Actually, I promised them I'd keep an eye on their place. I'll do a quick walkaround their place in the morning— make sure everything's locked and nothing else has been messed with."

"You better. Never know if someone's surveilling the house from there. And your door was open. Should've been locked, though." Inuyasha glared meaningfully at Kouga. "You of all people should have remembered that."

Kouga rolled his eyes. "I don't think anyone's going to attack them here."

"Well apparently, you have been thinking much at all. Sadao was fucking attacked a few blocks over, in case you forgot," Inuyasha hissed, thinly veiled anger emerging though his voice was calm.

"Besides there are three youkai here." Kouga cast Inuyasha a cursory glance. "And a mutt."

Glowering at Kouga for the mutt comment, Inuyasha's ears twitched and he wrinkled his nose. "Shit that's what the smell was. _More_ wolf youkai. At first I thought it was just bad cooking."

"Hey!" Kagome's eyes flashed in indignation. "You didn't need to bring me into your stupid argument! I didn't even cook tonight."

Pinning both men with a cool stare and her hands on her hips, Kagome's mouth fell into a frown when she saw the moisture drip from Inuyasha's long hair onto her previously pristine hardwood floor. Her jaw clenched and she lifted her gaze once more towards the two, causing Kouga and Inuyasha look back at her warily.

"That's it. You're coming with me and I'm blow drying your hair. Kouga, you clean this up."

Inuyasha slowly followed after Kagome up the stairs, looking much like a reprimanded child or perhaps more appropriately, a dog with his tail between his legs. Kouga began to snicker but immediately quieted when Kagome turned around to give him a pointed stare. As she turned back around, Inuyasha threw Kouga a triumphant smirk, earning the wolf youkai's glare in return. Kagome cleared her throat deliberately and Inuyasha met her disapproving stare without any remorse before she rolled her eyes and sighed, continuing up the stairs.

Inuyasha followed her up two flights of stairs and into one of the bedrooms on the third floor. Immediately, he froze upon entering. The large room was otherwise innocuous, the walls were painted a creamy, caramel color, the bed and various accents of the room were a light, powdery blue, and the rest of the furniture was a mixture of silver and white. It gave off a very comfortable, homey vibe while being classic and Inuyasha could tell that Kagome had put a lot of thought into decorating the room. However, this also meant that it was her and Kouga's bedroom.

Kagome, having disappeared in the large room, met Inuyasha at the door, a bemused expression on her face.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing? Come in."

"No, it's fine," he said tightly.

"What the hell is the matter with you? Come in. I might have one of your old shirts stored in the closet somewhere. But I can't reach it and I need your help."

Inuyasha blinked at her. "You have one of my shirts?"

Kagome flushed, but she blinked quickly and turned to lead him into the bedroom and into the spacious walk in closet. "You left without much notice, Inuyasha. I still have some of your stuff. I've been meaning to give everything back to you, but it kept slipping my mind." She gestured to a moderately sized cardboard box perched on a shelf above her display of shoes. "That's it."

Inuyasha reached up and easily grabbed the box, setting it down on the floor to rummage though it for a clean shirt. He was surprised to see that the clothing was neatly rolled and wrapped in a white muslin cloth.

"Rolling it prevents wrinkles," Kagome commented. "Mama taught me that."

The two made eye contact and held each other's gaze before Inuyasha looked back down at the box. He reached in and pulled out a cotton, grey shirt with a crew neck and long sleeves. "I should go change."

Kagome gestured for him to follow her and Inuyasha tried to keep his gaze on the back of her head so as not to look around the room, at the bed and the various pictures of Kouga and Kagome. He couldn't help but pause at the photo of them on Kagome's vanity— dressed in a tuxedo and wedding gown and grinning widely. Kagome opened another door and Inuyasha dragged his eyes away and peered in and saw the personal bathroom.

"The hair dryer's in the cabinet below the sink."

"It's fine. I can deal with it."

Kagome snorted. "Maybe _you_ can, but my floors won't."

Inuyasha made a face. "Kagome, I have way too much hair and not enough patience to deal with that thing."

"Oh for the love of—" Kagome grabbed the hair dryer and plugged it in before gesturing for Inuyasha to sit on top of the counter.

Ignoring her expectant gaze, Inuyasha asked, "Where's your other bathroom?"

Sighing with exasperation, Kagome snapped, "Don't be ridiculous, Inuyasha. I can help you dry your hair. And I don't mind you being in here."

Continuing to pout, Inuyasha muttered, "_I _mind."

"Inuyasha, quit being so stubborn. Please? I just want to enjoy a nice dinner with my friends and family."

Glancing at her frown out of the corner of his eyes, Inuyasha groaned. "Fine. But I'm not dealing with this cold shirt anymore." He grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head and threw it into the box. Kagome took in air sharply at the sight of his bare torso. She didn't think she'd forget what he looked like, but apparently, her memory didn't do him justice.

Kagome was mesmerized by the ripple of sinewy muscle below the smooth skin tinted with a golden color that revealed Inuyasha's love for the outdoors. The grace with which his muscles worked was entrancing and she had to stop herself from staring before she turned on the hair dryer, the loud whirring breaking the silence and her reverie.

Inuyasha turned so that she had greater access to his silver hair and Kagome directed the hair dryer towards it, the heated air transforming the damp, stringy strands into soft, fluffy silk. As she approached the top of his head, Inuyasha ducked his head and Kagome adjusted the settings on the dryer so that it blew at a cooler temperature and more gently as she navigated it around his ears. With her free hand, Kagome softly ran her hand along the fine hairs on and in his ears to help speed the drying process and Inuyasha couldn't help the contented rumbling that left his throat. Kagome froze only to smile at him before continuing until his hair was dry.

As she put away the appliance, Inuyasha hopped off of the counter and threw the new shirt over his head, pulling it down and pushing up the sleeves so that they bunched up near his elbow. He looked at Kagome anxiously and she led him out of the bathroom and downstairs. Inuyasha grabbed the cardboard box and followed after her. He put it down in the foyer before entering the dining room and taking the only empty spot between Miroku and Souta.

Kouga raised an eyebrow at him and commented dryly. "That wet dog smell's finally gone."

Ginta and Hakkaku snickered at his jab and earned Inuyasha's cool gaze. They froze and dropped their eyes to their plates. Scowling, Inuyasha asked gruffly, "Who are these jokers?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome reprimanded.

"It's fine, Kagome." Kouga rolled his eyes. "I met Ginta and Hakkaku at university in Kyoto. Consider them my Miroku and Inuyasha post-high school."

"Keh. What's up with their hair?" Inuyasha nodded at Hakkaku's tall, bleached white Mohawk.

Hakkaku glowered at Inuyasha. "You're one to talk."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Inuyasha asked carefully.

Sango quickly interceded, "So Sadao, how long do you think it'll take before you're back to your old self?"

"It'll be a long while. The doctors say that it's a miracle that I've even been able to recover this much."

"Yes, no offense, Higurashi-san, but for a man your age, your recovery has been quite remarkable," Miroku added. He smiled jovially. "But I'm sure that if your progress remains at this pace, you should become comfortable in less than a year. Although, I'm not sure you'll return quite to the same level of mobility."

Sadao lifted his hand and shook his hand in acceptance. "I'm an old man. I understand my limits."

Kagome put down her utensils and began slowly, "You know, Dad… Kouga and I were talking about it, and we were thinking that maybe you should permanently move in with us."

"And what of your grandfather? Do you intend for him to maintain the house and the shrine by himself?"

Biting down on her lower lip, Kagome shook her head. "No, we were thinking that maybe he'd also move in. And that we could sell the shrine— Jii-chan?"

Kagome's grandfather had risen from his seat at the table and stoically began to leave the dining room. In the silence that followed, they heard the sound of the sliding door opening and closing, letting them know he had gone out to the backyard. Kagome pursed her lips.

"What in the world were you thinking, Kagome?"

Kagome's honey eyes widened at her father's displeasure. "I was thinking that you two could stay with us. There's no reason for you two to stay at the shrine anymore."

"Your grandfather grew up in that house. Your mother grew up in that house. That shrine is the only thing that he has left. He loves the shrine. It's the one thing that keeps him going, Kagome. You'd really take that away from him?"

Kagome shrunk back in her seat, staring down. "I wasn't thinking of it that way," she murmured.

"It doesn't seem like you were thinking at all."

There was a loud clatter when Inuyasha's utensils fell against his plate and his chair scraped backwards as he stood up and walked away from the table. He didn't say anything, but once more, the sound of a sliding glass door echoed in the silent house. Miroku patted Sango's hand before excusing himself and following after the hanyou.

Kouga took Kagome's hand and squeezed it tightly before addressing his father-in-law. "Kagome and I didn't intend for you or jii-chan to feel that way. We just wanted to make sure you two were taken care of. And we know how much work it can be to maintain the shrine—"

"Souta's home plenty of times. He comes home from school every weekend."

"He'll be graduating in a few years. He'll find a job, his own place. Kagome and I were just planning for the future."

"You two need to stop worrying about us and worry about yourselves."

"You're my family!" Kagome cried. "How can you tell me to just forget about you? In case you forgot, Dad, you _just_ left the hospital after an attack. I don't want to have to worry about you or Jii-chan or Souta's safety."

"Kagome, you need to worry about your own family," Sadao's voice was stern. "What if there's another attempt on my life? If I move in here with everyone else, I don't just endanger myself, I endanger my daughter, my father-in-law, and my son? I won't have it." He took a deep breath. "As soon as I'm fully healed, I'll return to the shrine. That's the end of this."

* * *

Inuyasha couldn't believe what he was doing, but he did it anyway. He sat down on the steps of the deck next to Kagome's grandfather. He didn't bother looking at him or addressing him first. Merely joined the elderly man in staring up at the inky sky, glittering with the stars that managed to shine through the lights of the Tokyo metropolis.

"They used to be much brighter when I was younger."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "I'm sure they were beautiful."

"They still are," he argued. "It's just all those damn neon lights in the city that stop us from seeing them. We get too infatuated by all the new stuff that we forget the beauty that's been here for centuries."

With a sigh, Inuyasha cut off the small talk. "Kagome's just trying to take care of you," Inuyasha mumbled.

"Oh, I know that. It's in her nature to try and take care of everything by herself. She got that from her mother." He shook his head slowly and sighed. "Kagome needs to realize that she needs to be taken care of as well."

"Keh. Blame that mangy husband of hers."

"A youkai. My granddaughter marrying a youkai." There was no malice in his voice, just disbelief.

One look at the old man dressed in his priest garb was enough to nearly make Inuyasha snort in laughter, but he chose to refrain. "And a wolf, at that."

"I really hated you when you dated her in high school, you know."

"I know. Every time I came over, you kept throwing those damn ofuda to try and purify me."

"You are a strong spirit. That must be the reason why they didn't work. The spells are ancient and passed down from my ancestors."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes but nodded. "I _am_ a strong hanyou." He paused before adding, "You didn't hate me. Hate doesn't run in your family."

Harrumphing, the older man acknowledged Inuyasha's claim but argued, "I thought you were annoying and reckless. When I let you work in my storehouse, you broke nearly all of the artifacts."

"You mean your imitation Shikon jewel keychains?"

With another glare directed at the hanyou, he continued, "You treated her well, though. I could tell that she was your top priority."

"I never wanted her to be sad or hurt. I still don't," Inuyasha admitted.

"You still love her."

Inuyasha finally turned towards the old man and met his wise eyes. "Never stopped. And I always will."

"You loved her too much."

"Maybe."

"That's why you let her go."

"I hurt her."

"Tell me, when you sleep, do you see her?" He shook his head. "No, I already know the answer." He sighed before continuing, "You can never touch her, keep her. Right?"

Inuyasha's frowned. "How do you know?"

"That's how I feel about my late wife."

Inuyasha watched the old man's face scrunch up in concentration, the lines etched on his skin becoming deeper and more pronounced. His eyes narrowed in thought. He shook his head and turned his face upwards again towards the sky.

"Too much of my family has left me behind. My wife died before Souta was born. Kagome was only a toddler. My first grandchild left us much too soon, barely a teenager. And my only child… Satori… She left behind two of her children and her husband. I can't reach any of them anymore."

He groaned and held his face in his hands. "My heart can't take anymore. Kagome's taking on too much. She should be enjoying her youth, her marriage."

"Nothing's going to happen to Kagome," Inuyasha promised.

"And how can you make sure of that? You aren't her mate."

Inuyasha recoiled and slumped over before reiterating hotly, "Well Kouga isn't her mate, either." He looked down and glared at his hands. "That doesn't matter to me. Nothing's going to happen to her."

The wind shifted and Inuyasha turned over his shoulder to see Miroku standing further away, leaning against the railing. His scent was previously blown in the other direction, keeping Inuyasha unaware of his presence. Inuyasha met his understanding gaze and stood up.

"You don't have to believe me, old man, but I'm telling you right now it's the truth."

"Kagome was always very happy when she was with you," he said suddenly. "Even when I thought her a fool for spending time with you, she always felt safe. Her mother thought so as well. I'm aware of your support when Satori died and I appreciate it."

Inuyasha nodded before making his way to Miroku's side as his best friend handed him a bottle of beer.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Miroku asked.

"No."

Miroku nodded and took a pull from his bottle before Inuyasha did the same. The three men spent the rest of their time gazing up at the night sky in silent reflection.

* * *

Inuyasha walked back into the house to the quiet sounds of dishes being cleared and the soft rush of the water from the kitchen sink. He caught Sango's wrist as she tried to take on more plates and took them himself.

"Some celebratory dinner that was."

Sango pursed her lips. "Didn't go like Kagome planned at all. Where's Miroku?"

"The old man fell asleep outside so Miroku took him back home to the shrine. He said he'd be back to take you home."

"I'm sure he could've stayed here without Kagome minding."

"Pretty sure he wanted to go home, Sango."

Sango sighed. "I guess you're right. Especially after that mess at dinner."

Inuyasha considered her warily. "You're dead on your feet, Sango. Did you come here straight from the airport? Go sit down or whatever you humans do to _relax_," he sneered. He made a show of wincing when Sango punched him in the arm, though he had to admit that it hurt more than a punch from a human woman should have.

"I wanted to help clean up. Nearly had to fight Kagome to get her to relax. She's been too stressed out."

The two put the last of the dishes in the sink and waited for Kouga to finish washing them before drying them and putting them away. Inuyasha cringed when one of his claws scraped against the plate gratingly.

"Damn it, dog boy, can't you keep it down?"

"I ought to smash this plate against your head," Inuyasha grumbled.

"So what kept you so late?" Kouga was referring to Inuyasha's delayed arrival to the house.

"I've been trying to find more leads on those two inuyoukai that attacked Sadao. Ever since they were released on bail, it's as if they've turned into the goddamn wind. They managed to make bail with cash. No way to trace them. Money's not counterfeit, either. There's no trace of them. All we have is the DNA we swabbed when we took them to the hospital, but they're not in any system— local, national, or international. Even my more competent CI's have had no luck."

"CI?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha and Kouga blinked at her, as if remembering she was there and she glared at them for the blank look.

"Confidential informant or criminal informant," Kouga supplied. "Low level thugs or petty criminals that we talk to and convince to work for us after an arrest in order to get more information on the higher ups or the underground in general." He looked back at Inuyasha and asked, "So what, you were chasing some down?"

"Caught up with a few of them." Inuyasha snorted derisively. "Must have gone down every fucking alley in Shinjuku to try and smoke them out. They weren't having any of it."

"Maybe they knew you work for the Criminal Investigation Bureau?" Sango guessed.

Inuyasha shook his head. "You're forgetting where I grew up, Sango. I know how these punks think and act."

Kouga sighed, crossing his arms as he leant on his kitchen counter. "Fuck. So we really have no leads…"

"Inuyoukai aren't that prevalent. Someone has to have seen them. I thought that maybe the fact that I'm one would have made someone approach me." Inuyasha scowled at the floor. "There was this one thing… rumors of some new syndicate with their leader looking to make a break as an international arms dealer."

"But he's a ghost, isn't he?"

Inuyasha nodded tersely.

Sango yawned. "As much as this cop talk has been absolutely stimulating, I'm exhausted and Miroku texted me that he's waiting in the driveway."

"Bastard couldn't take the time to come inside and say goodbye to us?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Apparently not." She fought back another yawn. "Look, I'll see you two soon, okay? Maybe Miroku and I will host dinner one of these days."

Kouga grinned. "You two moved in together?"

Sango blushed. "He asked and I didn't give him an answer yet, so no telling him!"

Kouga and Inuyasha laughed as she rushed out of the kitchen and the front door slammed behind her. Inuyasha followed Kouga into their living room, sitting on the sofa opposite the one Kagome slept on. Kouga sat on the edge of that one, carefully lifting her head and placing it on his lap. He groaned as he stretched out and placed his feet on the coffee table between the two couches. Inuyasha smirked.

"Kagome will murder you for that."

"Not if you don't tell her," Kouga retorted, glowering at Inuyasha. Inuyasha ignored him and put his arms behind his head, relaxing into the couch and closing his eyes. "So what did her grandfather say?"

Opening one eye to look at him, Inuyasha shrugged. "Didn't say much. Just stared at the damn sky until he started to doze off. Miroku and I had just ignored him until we heard his snoring." He frowned. "Thinks Kagome is overexerting herself."

"He's not too far off."

"Her dad and Souta are asleep?"

"Sadao most likely. Souta's probably just on his laptop or catching up on schoolwork."

"Damn. Forgot that he still has that shit to deal with. The kid's doing okay?"

"That's what he tells Kagome. Sounds to me like he's telling the truth."

Inuyasha snorted. "I'll speak to him next time I see him. Twerp doesn't have the balls to lie to me."

An awkward silence fell between the two and Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Kouga absentmindedly ran his fingers through Kagome's thick hair. Inuyasha rose and began to make his way towards the door.

"Hey, Inuyasha, thanks."

"For what? Coming to this dinner? You deserve to be punched in the face for how it turned out. Not to mention your pathetic friends."

Ignoring Inuyasha's insults, Kouga clarified, "No, I mean, for taking the lead on the case. I know that you've been working hard on it."

"Keh. You've got a lot on your plate."

Kouga frowned before he added, "And thanks. It's been months, but I never got around to saying it."

"Saying_ what_?" Inuyasha demanded roughly, his impatience evident.

"Thanks for accepting Kagome and me. I know it can't be easy, with your history with her, but you haven' t been much of an asshole. At least no more than usual." Kouga looked down at her before meeting Inuyasha's gaze again. "You could have made things a lot harder, but you've been a good partner. A good friend— to both of us."

Inuyasha stiffened ever so slightly, his hands quickly curling into tight fists before relaxing. "Quit that sentimental shit, alright?"

"Yeah man, whatever. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Inuyasha made to turn and head out the front door, but paused as he watched Kouga smooth out the crease from between Kagome's eyebrows as she slept. Kagome stirred, but the frown didn't return on her face.

"She really has been stressed out."

Kouga scoffed. "That's putting it lightly." He smiled tightly. "She won't complain about it, though. She wouldn't."

"Keh, don't put her on a pedestal."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Just remember she's human. She's going to crash at some point. Be ready for when she needs you." Inuyasha was instantly reminded of the girl who fisted her hands in his shirt, her tears soaking through and wetting his skin as he tried to soothe her when her mother died.

"She's strong," Kouga argued.

"I'm not saying she's not," Inuyasha snapped. "But she's not invincible. She has a breaking point. Keep her from getting there. Better take good fucking care of her and protect her, Kouga."

Kouga stared at Inuyasha for a while before nodding. "With my life."

Inuyasha scoffed at him before turning and grabbing his box of stuff in the entranceway and leaving the house.

* * *

Kagome hurried through her kitchen, packing papers up and putting them into a file before grabbing a piece of toast from the toaster, ignoring her younger brother's indignant cry. "I'm running late, Souta. Make another piece of toast."

"Come on, Kagome!"

"Your first class isn't for another two hours!" Kagome groaned and shuffled several papers. "Where did I put the Hideyoshi file? I could have sworn I just saw it…"

Souta waved around a packet of papers. "Looking for this?"

"Yes! Thanks, Souta— hey!" Kagome frowned when Souta used his height as an advantage to lift the packet over her head. "Souta, I don't have time for this!" She reached up and growled in frustration when Souta lifted it out of her reach again.

"Give me back my toast!"

"Are you serious? Souta, this isn't like when we were kids and had the luxury of just dealing with detention if we were late to school! It's. My. Job!" Planting her hands on her hips, Kagome glared at her brother. "It's not like it doesn't take five minutes for you to toast another piece of bread."

"That was _the_ perfect piece of toast, Kagome. Not burnt, right firmness, ideal butter ratio."

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

"Oi, what's with all of the yelling?"

Kagome and Souta turned to see Inuyasha staring at them with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

Kagome blinked. "Inuyasha? What are you doing here? Kouga left a while ago."

"Yeah, I know. I actually came by to talk to Souta before I started work. I'm going to be doing field work today, not going to be in the office today."

Kagome then took notice of his outfit. He didn't wear the usual black polo shirt with the initials, "NPA" on the back for National Police Agency. Instead, he wore a plain, worn charcoal colored t-shirt and black, loose fitting jeans instead of khakis. She recognized the necklace he wore, a rosary of dark purple beads and ivory colored beads in the shape of a fang. Kagome also recognized the bracelet he wore on his right wrist, made of indigo colored beads.

* * *

_Kagome bit her lip, trying to concentrate on her study guide. She was going to be taking her National Center Test soon and her admission into the University of Tokyo depended on her score. She slammed down her pen and leaned back in her chair with a deep sigh, staring longingly at her open window. Kagome sighed again and laid her head down on the desk, on top of her study guide._

"_How am I supposed to study when I can't concentrate?" she moaned._

"_Why can't you concentrate?" Kagome could tell that the voice came from her window._

"_Because I'm too hung up thinking about my dumb boyfriend, who had to go all the way to Nagoya this weekend and leave me alone in my misery."_

"_Sounds like a real asshole."_

"_He is."_

_Kagome could feel the upward tick of the corners of her mouth even though she was fighting the urge to smile. She chewed on the inside of her cheek when she felt the claws softly graze along her side, his chin settling at the junction where her shoulder and neck met. Inuyasha's warm breath tickled against her ear. She lifted her head and turned over her shoulder and looked directly into his eyes, the familiar gold immediately setting her at ease._

"_It's not like I wanted to go. Like watching some boring trial over my old man's inheritance is interesting?"_

_With a pout, Kagome argued, "I think it is."_

_Inuyasha made a face. "Guess that's why you're going to be a successful lawyer."_

"_And what about you?"_

"_Your lazy husband who lives off of your money to buy an infinite amount of video games and ramen."_

_Kagome giggled. "That sounds like the life."_

"_Duh. You've got _me_ for a husband."_

"_Oh, Inuyasha."_

_Her giggles cut short when Inuyasha swiveled her chair around, squatting down in front of her to be eye level. Kagome didn't even realize she had been leaning towards him until he pulled her against him, hands spread across her back. Inuyasha buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent, and brushed their faces together, dragging the tip of his nose from her hairline across her cheek and touched her nose. Kagome's eyes fluttered but before she let them close, she gently pushed him away._

"_Wait, I went shopping with Sango yesterday and got you something."_

_Inuyasha raised his eyebrows and sat back on his haunches, waiting expectantly._

"_If you don't like it, you can return it."_

"_As long as it's not something stupid like a locket or something." Inuyasha briefly looked away with pursed lips before looking back at her from the corner of his eye. "Keh, even then, I'd probably still wear it," he admitted, earning a small smile from Kagome._

_She handed him a dark pouch and he reached in and pulled out a bracelet of beads._

"_It reminded me of you, like the rosary you always wear. I know your necklace has historical value and I just found this at an antique store, but—"_

_Inuyasha rolled his eyes and immediately put it on. Kagome stopped talking and blushed. She felt the familiar feeling of her stomach turning in a pleasant way when Inuyasha raised his eyes to her. She thought that the feeling would disappear, but she still felt it whenever he looked at her, even after three years together._

"_I missed you," he said._

"_Really?" she teased._

"Yes_, really." He leaned back and brushed her bangs out of her eyes tenderly. "Surprisingly, you're pretty miss-able."_

"_Miss-able?" she repeated, laughter in her voice._

_Inuyasha playfully growled at her. "Yes, miss-able!" He then lunged forward to take her into his arms again when Kagome turned to run away. He rested his chin on her shoulder once more and whispered, "How could I not miss the girl I'm in love with?"_

_Kagome's blush deepened but she scoffed, "Girl?"_

"_Woman," Inuyasha corrected before he started placing feather light kisses along her neck._

* * *

"Oh." Kagome frowned, her bemusement obvious. "He's in the kitchen making breakfast. Look it's my first day back and I'm running late..." She gave him an expression caught between a smile and a grimace.

"Come on, kid. Give her back the file."

Souta rolled his eyes and handed the packet to Kagome. She turned towards Inuyasha but he held up a hand before she could say anything.

"Don't worry about it, go ahead."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine. Good luck."

Kagome stared at him for a moment before smiling. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, ignoring the pink flush on his cheeks. "Thanks, Inuyasha."

After hearing the front door close and Kagome start the car, his ears twitching, Inuyasha stood opposite Souta, his arms crossed. He looked at him with a disappointing scowl before asking, "So when were you planning on letting your sister know that you dropped out of school?"

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

**MsFunsize5569: **Ahhhhh if _you're_ feeling this way, imagine how Kagome must feel! But yeah, that's what I really wanted to portray between the three of them. Yeah, everyone wants Inuyasha and Kagome together, but Kouga isn't really bad for her. And at the same time, he's a good friend to Inuyasha. And of course, Inuyasha just wants Kagome to be happy. There's still some fine tuning I need to do with my plans for the three of them, but it'll still be a while until we get there, unfortunately.

**Anime Lady PIMP: **That last sentence literally breaks my heart haha. That's why it just had to be included. Thanks for the review!

**alex's world:** Wah thanks so much for the love! Hope you're satisfied with this latest one :)


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